AN: Happy Kacyween! The first drought of Season 2 is underway and I wanted to write a fluffy one shot for our queens to get things started off right. With Halloween coming up and our ship in their officially domestic era…this one seemed fitting. I would like to thank my brilliant girlfriend for helping me come up with the idea…and listening to me go on and on about Kacy forever. The song title is inspired by Muse's "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween," which definitely put me in a Halloween-themed mood. I hope you enjoy!

Lucy rolled her eyes at Kai and Jesse and continued to furiously type at her desk as she tried to ignore their conversation. The two were talking about their Halloween costumes and teasing each other about what they planned to wear for the night. Tennant was hosting a big Halloween party that was the talk of the week, but Lucy was not as enthused as her team. In fact, even the thought of attending put her in a bad mood, which Jesse noticed.

"Oh come on, Luce, you can't seriously be opposed to a costume party. What are you? The Grinch of Halloween or something?" teased Jesse and Lucy smirked.

"Very original, you need to work on your punch lines," she grumbled and Kai chuckled at her.

"But seriously, Luce, what's your deal? Halloween has everything, candy, costumes, haunted houses, horror films…"

"Um, candy is meant to be consumed year-round, costumes are stuffy, and if I want haunted houses and horror films, I can be the first to arrive at a crime scene. Pass, hard pass."

"So you and Whistler aren't coming tonight?" asked Jesse. Kai tried to hide his smile as he spoke up.

"Kate already has their couple's costume picked out and I for one think it will be perfect," informed Kai. Jesse glanced over at Lucy for confirmation and she pushed her bottom lip out in a pout.

"Yeah, we'll be there I guess…unless of course I can get out of it. Maybe a case will come up or we need to follow up on something. What about the paperwork on DeMarco?" Jesse smiled smugly at her.

"Already covered. We're all clear for the weekend and don't be surprised if nothing else comes up. Tennant has another team covering for the night just in case. She promised Alex and Julie she'd make sure the party went great and seemed pretty excited about it. It's gonna be awesome," assured Jesse.

"Talking about the party?" asked Kate as she entered the bullpen with a bright smile. Kai smiled back and gave her a wink.

"You know it. Just don't be too jealous of my costume tonight," he teased and Kate playfully nudged him with her shoulder.

"You know I already am and I can't wait to see it. Luce, you got a minute?" Lucy sighed but nodded. She locked her computer screen before following her girlfriend out into the hall to speak away from the prying ears and eyes of her teammates.

"What's up?" asked Lucy.

"Why haven't you set out your costume yet? You said you would do it this morning before you left."

"I know, it's just…I've just been busy and I don't really have anything to wear. Maybe we should sit this one out, you know? Stay home, order some takeout, have our own private party," suggested Lucy as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. She groaned when Kate shook her head.

"What's been up with you lately? Why are you acting like you're dreading this? I thought it would be fun to dress up together and get to have a party with everyone."

"I just don't see the big deal about it. I mean, it's a bit ridiculous when you really think about it." Kate frowned.

"Well, it's not ridiculous to me and I really want to go. Plus, I promised Julie I would help her with her costume, so I'm going. I thought it would be a nice way to spend our first Halloween together as a couple, but either way, I'm showing up in my costume to hang out with our friends. If you want to stay home and pout about whatever is actually bothering you, I guess you can, but I'm going." Lucy sighed.

"I'm not…" She was interrupted by the ringing of Kate's phone and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration as her girlfriend answered. The conversation was brief and one both was familiar with in their line of work. Kate hung up and shoved her hands into her pockets.

"I have to get back to work." With that, Kate headed for the elevator and Lucy stood there in silence as she watched her girlfriend leave. She knew Kate was frustrated. Lucy headed toward Ernie's lair to get away from Jesse and Kai's excitement and conversation about their Halloween plans. As soon as she entered, she plopped down in a chair beside him and Ernie smiled sympathetically at her.

"Bad day?"

"Whistler's mad at me," she grumbled.

"Ah, a lover's quarrel. Well, it was bound to happen soon enough. You two are settled into your place together and probably starting to notice each other's quirks and particular ways of doing things in your own spaces. The rose-colored glasses of love and all those chemicals feeding your brains that were blinding you to them before are just probably starting to wear off a bit. What's the issue? You too messy, she too tidy? Hair clogging the shower? Thermostat issues," he began to list. She quickly shook her head.

"No, none of that. Living together has been great, amazing actually. We've been pretty much living together for months anyways, so making it official was just a technicality. We worked out all that stuff a while ago. We're good…great actually," she said with a blissful smile as she thought about her girlfriend.

"Then, what's the problem?" Her smile faded and scowl returned as she remembered what she was supposed to be doing that night.

"She's all into this Halloween stuff and it just isn't my thing. She wants us to go to Tennant's party dressed up as a couple and stuff, but I don't want to even go. I hate Halloween."

"Who hates Halloween?"

"People from places outside of the U.S., those who don't celebrate due to their culture or beliefs, people who, like me, just don't see the point in it, it's actually a longer list than you might think."

"Okay, fine, but you said it yourself, Whistler likes it."

"But I don't."

"Yeah, but you don't have to like it. She does, so maybe you should try to have some fun with it for her. Whistler has done plenty of things she isn't really into because you love them and even you admitted she's gone out of her comfort zone a lot for you. You really think she goes to Rock N' Bowl so often and cheers on the Cowboys with you every Sunday because she likes that stuff?" She waved him off.

"All those things are fun, though."

"For you, but not really for her. She does them because you like them and healthy relationships are built on compromises by both people, not just one. Maybe it's time to do something that your girlfriend thinks is fun. Besides, it's a party with food and all the people you love. Try to have an open mind," he suggested. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she mulled over his words. She knew he was right, but she also knew she hated Halloween.

That evening, Kate headed to the Tennant Residence right after work with her costume in hand. She hadn't spoken to her girlfriend since their talk in the bullpen. Work kept her busy and she knew Lucy needed time to stew over her words, but she meant them. She planned on enjoying the festivities with their friends whether Lucy decided to attend or not. However, a part of her, the part that usually nagged in the back of her mind, wanted to know why Lucy was being so stubborn and resistant to the Halloween party. She didn't have much time to think about it because Jane put her to work as soon as she arrived. The two friends were in the kitchen preparing appetizers and desserts for the party while Alex and some of his friends finished decorating the house.

"You're quiet. Everything okay? I figured Lucy would be here with you," said Jane.

"She's probably going to be a no-show tonight," grumbled Kate.

"Really? Why?"

"I have no clue. She's been really weird about the party all week, super non-committal about it, and was dragging her feet about our costume. I figured it would be right up her alley. I didn't even choose something that would require her to shop. All she had to do was look in her closet, but apparently, that was too much. I'm the one that actually had to buy stuff for my half of it, but I don't know. Maybe I should've just accepted that she isn't into this stuff. It's a party, though. Since when is Lucy not into parties?"

"Now that I think about it, she has been pretty quiet all week. The rest of the team has been talking about tonight nonstop, but she hasn't mentioned it."

"I figured it would be fun, you know? She's all about fun, but as soon as I think I have her figured out, she does something that has me guessing all over again."

"Well, that's because Lucy Tara is a bit of an enigma. It's one of the things I've always been fascinated about with her. She is one of the easiest and yet hardest people to read all at once."

"Yeah, I know. Trust me, I'm in my head about it all the time and most of it is on me. We all know I can overthink things, but it doesn't help that she can be…I don't know." Jane smiled sympathetically at her friend.

"Lucy is a great teammate and amazing person. I could tell she would fit on the team right away. She's supportive and optimistic most of the time and roots for other people, but she's still human and has her own baggage and walls up. I don't push. Whenever something is bothering her, it rarely impacts the job, so I don't need to push, but trust me, you aren't the only one learning to open up and be in a relationship. Lucy just has different obstacles to overcome and in different ways. You needed to trust that you could put your walls down and open up to not only Lucy, but the team, especially since those things helped you survive in the DIA and D.C. Lucy has to learn to let go of the past and be willing to open up about what gets to her with you, but that means being vulnerable and she doesn't like to feel vulnerable."

"I don't want to push her. I just wish I knew what was bothering her and why all this is such a sticking point, but I do know her well enough to know that if I push the issue too much, she'll just shut down on me even more."

"Give her time. I have a feeling she'll show up tonight." Kate frowned in confusion.

"Why?"

"Because no matter what issues she may be dealing with or reasons she may have to not want to be here, Lucy understands 'ohana and everyone she loves will be here tonight, including you." Kate smiled at the words and slowly nodded, hoping her friend was right.

It didn't take long for the party to get underway. Alex and Julie's friends were some of the first to arrive with their families, along with people from the neighborhood. By the time Kate put on her costume and helped Julie with hers, even more guests had arrived. She gave an appreciative nod at Kai when she saw his costume.

"Lloyd Dobler with the boom box and everything, classic," she informed as she looked him over in his costume from the movie Say Anything.

"Took me a while to find a fake boom box. The one in my garage was way too heavy," said Kai. Kate laughed when she noticed Jesse's costume. He stood out amongst most of the guests in his bright green Yoshi costume and he put his hand up to stop her before she could tease him.

"The kids decided we should all be Super Mario Bros characters for Halloween. Heather is dropping all of them off at their friends' houses for the night but we had to take pictures together first," he explained.

"Yoshi is an admirable choice. I'll have to thank Heather for this one. Say cheese," said Kate before snapping a picture with her phone. She laughed when he flipped her off.

"Yoshi would never," teased Ernie as he walked over to them with Jane. Kate already knew that Jane planned on being a witch, but was confused by Ernie's costume.

"Who are you supposed to be?" questioned Kate as she looked him over.

"Phiber Optik, one of the most epic hackers from the Great Hacker War of the 90s."

"Who?" asked Jesse.

"Oh come on, really, you don't know about the great hacker rivalry between the Legion of Doom and the Masters of Deception?" asked Ernie.

"Is that from a comic book or something?" asked Kai and Ernie groaned.

"LOD and MOD were two of the greatest teams of hackers of all time. They had a rivalry because the hacker that called himself Lex Luthor…"

"Totally from a comic book. I know that much," assured Kai.

"Okay, yes, he named himself after a comic book villain, but the team was epic. The LOD had a reputation of attracting the best of the best and their brightest member was Phiber Optik. He started feuding with another member and got banned from the group, so he started his own to rival them, the Masters of Deception. The Great Hacker War lasted for almost two years. Phiber and MOD ended up in jail for it, but he's still a legend."

"That's precious seconds I'll never get back on my life," said Jesse. Ernie smirked at him.

"Yeah well, your Yoshi costume isn't anatomically correct. Tail is a bit big, don't you think? Overcompensating for something?" taunted Ernie. Kate and Kai snickered at the comment and glanced at each other as Jesse and Ernie began bickering. Jane shook her head in amusement.

"Enough you two, both of your costumes are great and so is Lucy's," informed Jane. Kate immediately perked up at the mention of her girlfriend and Jane nodded over to the front door where Lucy was walking in. Kate beamed with happiness and made her way over to greet her.

"You came," she said happily and Lucy laced their fingers together as she nodded.

"There's nowhere else I would want to be tonight but with you. Besides, I didn't want to miss my chance to see you in this outfit. You definitely did Maura Isles justice." Kate blushed at the way her girlfriend was looking her up and down in her designer red dress that fit every curve, high heels that showed off her legs, and the lab coat she was wearing, just like the character from the show would. Kate decided to take the chance to ogle her girlfriend as well in her black pants, matching belt, tucked-in blue scoop-neck shirt, and a black lapel jacket with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her badge and handcuffs were secured to the belt as well. Kate leaned in to whisper in her girlfriend's ear.

"And you make a very sexy Jane Rizzoli."

"You were right about having everything I needed at home, including the handcuffs. I took the ones from the nightstand. Hope that's okay," Lucy teased. Kate blushed as she playfully shushed her and Lucy giggled.

"Well someone is in a good mood. I'm really glad you're here and that you seem to be in the spirit of things."

"I'm definitely starting to see the perks of Halloween," said Lucy as she slid her hands over Kate's hips under the lab coat she was wearing. Lucy gave her a wink and firm squeeze as Kate bit her lip.

"Good to know, but this is a family-friendly party and you are giving me some very not-so-family-friendly thoughts." Lucy laughed.

"I blame you for being so hot, babe," she teased and Kate playfully rolled her eyes.

"Come on, you're just in time to go tease Jesse." Lucy gasped in excitement.

"Oh, he came as Yoshi. It was either Super Mario Bros or Pokémon. The man was in a lose-lose situation," said Lucy and Kate laughed as she led her girlfriend back over to their friends.

The party was a rousing success and many special agents and colleagues from NCIS and the FBI made an appearance at the Tennant House for the festivities. After helping Jane clean up afterwards, the couple headed home. Kate sighed happily as they entered their apartment. It had been a fun night and she couldn't have been happier with how it turned out, especially after their tense talk earlier in the day.

"Thank you for showing up tonight. I know it wasn't your idea of a good time, but it means a lot to me that you did it anyways."

"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. The party was a lot of fun and, the truth is, I knew it would be. It just kind of hit a bit close to home for me," confessed Lucy as they sat down on the couch.

"What do you mean?" Lucy took in a deep breath before starting in on the conversation she knew she planned on having with her girlfriend after deciding to attend the party.

"Um, okay, so here's the thing. Halloween actually used to be one of my favorite holidays when I was a kid, but like with most things, my family ruined it for me. Remember how I told you that when I was growing up, everything about my family was about appearances?"

"Yeah, you said it's one of the many reasons why you steer clear of them."

"Every aspect of my life was planned to a tee to make it clear that the Tara name was all about the epitome of class, status, and wealth, even on Halloween. Parties were a big deal at my school and all the popular kids would love to see who could outdo the others with costumes and lavish events. It was a school for rich kids, so everyone looked for ways to one-up each other and stand out. Of course, my sister and brothers always found ways to outdo everyone else and our Halloween parties were legendary, but they stopped being fun pretty quickly for me. Everything was about the guest lists and hors d'oeuvres. One year, we even had a haunted maze on the property and they hired all these actors to help out. It should've been fun, but they made it about anything but that. Everyone else loved it. The parties my family threw were always the talk of the school and town, but I always just felt like I was on display and just being used as a prop."

"I can only imagine. That sounds pretty intense."

"It definitely was, but I still loved Halloween until my junior year in high school. That year, I wanted to go dressed up as Sealy Booth because I loved him and Bones as a couple from the show, but my parents wouldn't let me. They knew I was gay and assured themselves they were fine with their daughter liking girls…as long as she still dressed the part. They would've been fine with me dressing up as Bones, but Booth? My favorite character who happened to be a man? Not a chance. I ended up not dressing up at all that year. It was the first time I skipped our ever-so-popular Halloween party, but not the last." Kate gently caressed her cheek with her thumb and Lucy leaned into her touch.

"Luce, I'm so sorry. I didn't know dressing up with me would make you think of….

"It didn't. It actually did the opposite. It reminded me of why I used to love Halloween. I was worried I would feel like that kid again if I went to the party. I haven't celebrated in years, but it reminded me that I used to love dressing up and I shouldn't let my family or any of that crap from the past take away my chance to dress up with my oh so sexy girlfriend, who I happen to be very much in love with." Kate blushed and smiled adoringly at her.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah and I do have a confession to make about this costume," said Lucy as she scooted closer.

"Oh really?" asked Kate with a seductive smile.

"I totally had the hots for Dr. Isles."

"I knew it," exclaimed Kate with a pump of her fist. Lucy laughed at her exuberance and smiled lovingly at her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about all this earlier. Truth is, when it comes to my family and stuff from my past with them, I'm still not really over all of it and it's hard for me to talk about sometimes."

"I get it. You know I do. Putting down my walls to let you in hasn't always been easy for me either."

"But you do it all the time and tonight was a reminder that I need to do that with you too. Healthy relationships are built on compromises by both people, not just one." Kate eyed her cautiously.

"Let me guess, Ernie told you that?"

"How do you know I didn't just come up with it?"

"Because he's constantly giving out unsolicited relationship advice." Lucy laughed and nodded.

"I did end up in his lair, but yeah, we need to set him up with someone ASAP."

"I don't know. Ernie has a few walls that need to come down too. You sure we can find someone to help him with that?"

"With all those Whistler resources I'm sure we can find someone he's willing to take them down for. It's hard, but opening up to someone you care about is always worth it. You're always worth it, Kate." She smiled as her girlfriend leaned in to tenderly kiss her.

"You're always worth it too. You know, Jane is already talking about doing this again next year since it was such a success. Maybe we could go as Booth and Bones? I'll even find us a little alien to carry around with us."

"Babe, you're thinking of Mulder and Scully from X-Files."

"Oh, right, then what show are Booth and Bones from again?"

"Bones," exclaimed Lucy with a laugh. Kate shook with mirth at her exasperation.

"Well, it's hard to keep up with all your procedurals. You've seen tons of them. I only knew about Rizzoli and Isles because I was trying to look for gay special agents in media and it was slim pickings. I did a very deep dive online and still am not sure if they were gay or not, but people apparently shipped them…I think that's the term. Please don't ask me how I know that term." Lucy giggled and smiled dreamily as she thought about one of her favorite procedurals of all time.

"Yeah, Rizzoli and Isles were so gay for each other." Kate giggled back at her girlfriend.

"Then, I did a good job with the couple's costumes this year, after all?"

"A great job, babe," assured Lucy with a sweet kiss. Soon, it turned passionate as they pulled one another closer and Lucy straddled Kate's waist. Kate smiled even more as Lucy kissed her neck and her hands glided over the swells of her breasts.

"In fact, how about I go show you just how much I was into Dr. Isles," suggested Lucy. Kate bit her lip and nodded.

"Heels on or off tonight?"

"On, definitely on, and don't think I haven't noticed you eyeing these handcuffs all night," said Lucy. She laughed as Kate grabbed her by the collar and pulled her toward the bedroom with a cheeky smile. For Lucy, it had been years since she enjoyed a Halloween, but she had a feeling it was about to become one of her favorite holidays once again.

AN: There you have it. I wanted to do a quick, fun Halloween fic and really wish the show did holiday episodes. Maybe one day. If not…well…we always have fanfiction.