Whoooooooo! Did somebody say conclusion, 'cause that's what I got right here! Nothing like posting the last of a W&G Halloween fic a mere three weeks before Christmas, but eh! I admit, I did hold off on posting...just enjoying dragging this out, not to mention the utter evilness and pleasure I would get out of those countless e-mails demanding the next chapter, but like a 16th birthday or a bowl of clam chowder, all good things must come to an end...so that more good things can begin, I guess. A TON of love and thanks to JustJena, Sundown, Keisha, GracieAdler, carbybubbles, Erurisu, Culumacilinte (I don't know about that sex fiend sequel, hon, maybe I should just leave that up to you...;)), islandMAG98, stanleywalkersbitch, rachgreengeller and those who anonymously checked this out...ya'll rock my face off. :-)

Their eyes flew open collectively, each regretting it at once; the vivid beams emanating from the overhead lights burning directly into their pupils sent their already throbbing heads into painful contact with the hardwood floor. The blow, however, was the very thing that seemed to bring them to their senses.

"Ja--" Will muttered, feeling around him and finding what he assumed to be Jack's hand. "Jack? That you?"

"That depends. Orlando Bloom? Is that you?"

"Jack!" Ignoring the pain tearing through his head and the fact that the rest of him felt like it had been run over by a bus, he shot to a sitting position, he grasped both of Jack's hands in his own. "Jack--you're alive!"

Jack watched him, expression rather puzzled. "You've never sounded so happy about that."

"Well, I probably won't be in a few days, but for the sake of the situation…" He whipped his head frantically in several directions before his eyes rested on Grace, whose position was that of her upper body dangling over the edge of the sofa so that her head was touching the floor, but her legs remained spread across it.

"Will…" she mused groggily. "Is this like that time…when we accidentally sat through that episode of Touched by an Angel and did everything humanly plausible to get rid of the memory?"

"Not quite like that, Gracie, but close," Will responded. He crawled over to her, not certain that his legs would support him yet, and planted a kiss on her forehead. "You okay?"

She groaned. "I will be when I find out what could possibly be worse than watching an overemotional pixie coked up with caffeine of sorts following Della Reese around, trying to figure out the means of her existence all while she's trying to help other people figure out the exact same thing."

"Yeah. It really doesn't get much worse than that."

She groaned again as she let her legs fall from the sofa. "God. You would not believe the dream I-" She frowned, grabbing at Will's hand. "Will, what--your wrist, what happened?"

"My wrist?" Will followed her gaze, then imitated her frown when he saw what she saw. A gash, not fresh, but not all that old either. "Oh, I…I don't know. But I was next to Jack, who I'm quite sure hasn't yet heard of the concept of fingernail clippers, so…" He shrugged. "It doesn't hurt much."

"Huh." Her baffled expression quickly became one of utter angst. "Where's Karen?"

"I don't know, I…we're awake, aren't we? And we're still here. Were you…did you have…?"

"I think so."

Jack, who had yet to find the energy to move, let alone sit up, moaned loudly. "Oh my God, I either took something on the naughty list or Marlon Brando did me…I can't tell which one."

"Do you remember anything?" Will asked him anxiously.

"I…" A distant look came over his face. "You know…I think I…I think I do…"

"What, Jack? Tell us," Grace urged.

"I…" The vagueness was replaced by sheer annoyance. "I wanted Rosario's sunglasses, and you wouldn't let me take them!" He jabbed a reproachful finger in her direction.

Will and Grace sighed, just as much out of relief that he was on the same page as out of irritation.

"Do I hear my name in here?" the mundane, bitter voice of Rosario came to them as she entered the front hall lounge area. "I hope it is not because you want something--Miss Karen decided tonight was the night for a sponge bath and I need several hours to recover afterward."

"Rosario--she didn't kill you!" Grace gasped out.

"Not yet, although it has not been for lack of trying." Rosario narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What has Mary Smirnoff been saying to you?"

"Nothing, she hasn't said…we just thought…"

"Can you tell us what's happened tonight, Rosario?" Will inquired.

"What's happened is that you are smudging up my wax job." She moved around, inspecting the floor, ignoring Jack's cry of anguish when she stepped on his stomach. "I tell Miss Karen, the more they lay on it, the worse it gets! But she says, oh, never mind, Rosie, you can celebrate the first of the month on your hands and knees with a toothbrush, my toothbrush, she means, my toothbrush that I will have to live with for the rest of my miserable days."

"But why were we out like that?" Grace demanded.

"You go through bowl of candy bars faster than Miss Karen can go through entire liquor cabinet and you ask what makes you pass out?" Rosario shook her head in disbelief. "You are in for rude awakening, lady."

"But that doesn't clear up anything for me," Will pointed out. "I only had one…or two…or five, but ten or twelve tops."

"Same," Jack murmured.

"Ooh, you're up, you crazy kids!" Karen called out cheerily as she breezed in. "I was wondering about that!"

"Karen…" Will's voice was low. "Where are the kids?"

"Kids?" Karen's expression twisted into one of terror. "Oh God, where?"

"Olivia and Mason!" Will snapped.

"Whose kids are they?"

"Yours, Andrea Yates!"

"Oh." Karen chuckled lightly. "They dropped off hours ago. At least…I think they did. Or did I drop them off somewhere? Hmm." She frowned. "Well, I guess we'll figure that out in the morning."

"Karen, just please tell us what happened!"

"What happened?" Karen repeated, frown still in place. "Well, nothing happened, honey, methinks you just got a hold of some of that tainted candy."

"We're talking about the Halloween candy, right Karen?" Grace asked. "The kind that you actually--well, we actually, with you looking on and making memories for small children that they'll treasure for a lifetime--put in those little paper sacks and glow in the dark jack-o-lanterns?"

"What kind of candy did you think I was talking about?"

"Ohhhh, the possibilities are endless."

Will's reaction was slightly different, more like a bomb that had only just gone off. "WHAT? You messed with candy bars that we handed out to only God knows how many kids tonight--"

At that, Jack was able to sit up and look somewhat interested. "You did, Karen? But why didn't you tell me? Fun!"

"Not fun, Jack, a lawsuit waiting to happen!" Will exploded.

"Well, I figured if parents were going to be so irresponsible as to letting their offspring wander door to door begging off good stuff from strangers, that I'd give 'em what they really wanted," Karen said, by way of what she considered a "normal" explanation.

"I…oh my God." Will ran a hand frantically through his hair. "I just can't believe you did that, Karen, giving them real cigars in place of candy ones, yes, pouring vodka in Coke cans, yes, convincing them that unwrapped condoms are in actuality chocolate coins, yes, but this…"

"Oh Wilma, put your banana back in your pants," Karen said crossly. "They'll go home, sleep it off, be fine by the morning. I popped a few and I was just fine, aren't you?"

"I don't know, what time is it?"

"Quarter after one," Rosario intoned.

"See, all in their beds, visions of sugar daddies dancing in their heads," Karen said. "Nothing to worry about, Wilma. It's Christmas, isn't it, after all?"

"No, Karen," Grace said gently. "That would be the holiday where Olivia hands you a five foot long list of toys that you seem to mistake for up and coming sex objects and drugs, and Mason isn't afraid to ask for extra summer sausage."

"Oh, is that what that is? I always wondered."

"Will, it's really okay," Grace said, touching his arm. "We're alive, we're okay…what else really matters right now?"

Will sighed, then smiled. "I guess you're right, sweetie."

"Am I right too?" Jack piped up, his adrenaline back on high, leaping up to join them.

"Of course, Jackie, although you did absolutely nothing to contribute, you're always right." Will smiled at him and put an arm around his shoulder.

"And me?" Karen's voice was soft, eyes lowered to the ground.

"Well, you being born proves that something isn't right about this entire galaxy, Karen, but I suppose we love you anyway," Grace said, extending an arm to her. They sat together, arms draped over one another's shoulders, until they heard a quiet sniffling in the corner.

"Oh Rosie, don't be like that, come on over here!" Karen beckoned eagerly to her, and she seemed happy to oblige.

"Karen?" Will said out of the blue. "Not to spoil this happy moment by any means, but just so it's all out in the open--what exactly did you put in those candy bars?"

"Well, you know, honey, I'm not really sure. Something new pharmacist fixed me up with yesterday, these yummy little tablets that dissolve as soon as they touch your tongue, just the prettiest color of purplish blue…"

stanleywalkersbitch, if you're out there and reading this, I immensely apologize for the fact that they did live "happily ever after," but I just couldn't bring myself to truly kill them off...one of these days, I'll write an alternate ending just for you where Karen just tosses 'em all into a life sized meat grinder and watches in pleasure as their blood and guts and bone fragments fly all over the place. Kisses.