A/N: Hey, guys! Here's the next chapter. I was feeling ready for fall today so I wrote this up. It's a little fluffy and cute.

It's also the last bit of filler before things start to heat up again! :D

Thank you for the awesome reviews and for reading! You guys make this all worth it.


October 31, 2004

Angel Grove, CA

"Trick or treat!" A group of voices said as I opened up the front door. Standing there, I saw four kids about seven years old. One was a witch, two were some kind of princesses, and the only boy was dressed up like a zombie. I smiled, grabbing the candy bowl from the table next to the door. On the sidewalk, I saw two mothers standing there as they waited.

"Well look at all of you!" I said, smiling. I grabbed a handful of candy as they held out pillow cases to accept it. I put a small handful of the treats in each of their bags. Each one called out a thank you as they ran down the porch steps. The mothers waved before directing the group to the next house. The street was buzzing with kids, all dressed up in costumes for trick or treating. I had dressed up myself, not wanting to feel entirely lame while I sat at home by myself. I didn't have much to work with but I did borrow an old hat that had been used for a scarecrow at the theater and I did my makeup to look like one. Marci even took an old black t-shirt I had in the closet and painted a pumpkin on it over my growing baby bump. I put on an old flannel shirt and thought I looked adorable. Well, at least cute enough to open the door for kids begging for candy.

Setting the bowl down, I heard movement from upstairs. A few seconds later, Marci's feet came bounding down the stairs. I looked up as I sat on the couch next to the door. She was dressed in a little devil's outfit; a red velvet skirt with a matching tank top. Red heels adorned her feet and she had a set of horns on her head. Black fishnet stocking ran the length of her legs, disappearing under the skirt. I was thankful the skirt was a little passed her knees but I was still a little taken back by the outfit in general. She dyed her hair black with orange tips last week to go with the Halloween spirit. She had her hair in pigtails that were curled around her face. She also had a black choker around her neck with a little red gem in it.

"Wow." I said, stealing a bite sized chocolate bar from the bowl. "I almost want to make you go upstairs to change."

"But then you wouldn't be my cool second mother." She replied, grinning at me as she attached her pointed tail to her belt line.

"Right. I forget. Just promise me the skirt will stay at that height for the entire night." I said, tucking the wrapper into my pocket.

"Of course." She replied. The doorbell rang and I pulled myself back up to my feet. Grabbing the bowl, I opened the door.

"Trick or treat!" I heard. Standing there, I found Rocky and Aisha with their three nieces in front of them. Rocky's middle sister, Maria, had triplets a few years ago. They were about five now and each were dressed up like the Ninja Turtles, weapons and all on the back of their shells. Rocky and Aisha were dressed up like basketball players, her bigger than mine baby bump painted to look like a basketball.

"Hey, everyone!" I said. "You all look great." I scooped candy into their pumpkin bags.

"Make sure you say thank you, girls." Rocky said.

"Thank you, Kimberly." The girls said in unison.

"You're very welcome." I replied. I grinned at the couple. "How is it going?"

"It's been six blocks and I'm ready to call it a night." Rocky said, rolling his eyes. Aisha glared at him.

"Stop it. This is supposed to give us practice with kids. This was your suggestion. Shut up and deal with it." She said, giving him a warning in her town.

"Ouch." Tommy's voice said behind them as he came up the front steps. He was dressed in a white gi, a green belt tied around his forehead and a black one around his waist. He was carrying a giant bag of candy in his hands and a smaller grocery bag. Rocky gave him a quick hand shake.

"Tell me about it." I heard Rocky mutter under his breath to Tommy.

"What did you say?" Aisha asked, glaring at him.

"Nothing, dear." He answered.

"Have fun!" I said in a cheerful town. Aisha gave me a smile before ushering the girls and Rocky off the porch. Tommy watched them walk away.

"If we never see him again, we know who it was." He said.

"If she hasn't killed him yet, she'll never do it." I replied, grinning up at him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were doing something with the kids at the dojo."

"We did but the crowd thinned out kinda early so we decided to head out. I figured I would swing by and see how trick or treating was going." He held up the candy. "And I brought more candy."

"Good. At this point, I think I've eaten more than I've given out." I moved aside, letting him enter. I set the bowl down and shut the door.

"Hey, Tommy." Marci said, grabbing her purse from the love seat. "Nice costume. Very original."

"I'm the Karate Kid." He said, looking down at his outfit.

"Yeah. Everyday of your life." She teased, smiling at him. "Alright. I'm off. I left the number of Penelope's house next to the phone. I'll be home by curfew."

"Be careful. No drinking and no drugs. If you need a ride, call me and someone will come get you. Have fun."

"You two. Don't get into too much trouble, you crazy kids." She said.

"Are you kidding? Halloween is on! What else are we going to do?" Tommy replied, sitting on the couch and turning the television on to the movie channel where the opening credits for Halloween were just starting.

"Right. See you guys later." She gave me a quick hug before leaving. I shut the door behind her before sitting on the other end of the couch from Tommy.

"That was quite the costume she had on." He said, stealing a piece of candy. I nodded.

"I know. I wanted to make her change but I didn't want to upset her. I trust her though. I don't think I have to worry about any boy getting too handsy with her."

"Is she still seeing that Craig guy?" He asked, glancing at me. I nodded.

"Yeah. He's supposed to be meeting her there. He seems like a nice kid."

"He's okay. He used to be in one of my beginner classes when the dojo first opened. His parents pulled him and his brother out though when they lost interest. I never had an issue with him."

"Good." The movie made it past the opening scenes and started with Michael going after his sister with the knife. I winced as she screamed.

"Do you want me to change it?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I like these movies. This is what I used to do on Halloween in Miami too. Well, that is if Nick wasn't dragging me to some party at one of his friend's houses. I've never been one to go out and party on tonight. I think just staying home like this is the best thing to do."

"Same. Jason and Trini used to have this big Halloween party and Kat would make me go every year. Thankfully, they stopped doing it once Trini got her new job. It's not that I didn't want to go. I just like watching scary movies and eating my weight in candy. Isn't that what you're supposed to do on Halloween? I don't remember it being about getting drunk and acting like idiots."

"I couldn't get drunk if I wanted to so I'll take the candy." I replied, ripping open a small bag of MM's. Tommy grinned, nodding.

"I'll stay sober to support you." He said.

"Gee, thanks." I tossed an MM at him and he caught it in his mouth.

"Green! My favorite." He exclaimed. This made me crack up, a loud laugh coming from me that ended up in a snort emitting from my nose. This made him in turn laugh and soon, we were both dying. Tears were streaming down my face as I tried to control myself. It felt great to laugh with Tommy. For a moment, I allowed myself to dip into the fantasy that we were together. That this was just a typical night for us and that we always spent time together like this. It felt right and normal, like a broken in pair of warm socks you slip on when winter starts showing its ugly head. I wondered what would happen if I just looked at him right now and told him that I loved him. Would it even change anything? Would he even care? Or would he just tell me that the time had passed and he had finally moved on?

As the sun set, less and less kids knocked on the door. Our candy supply was dwindling now and it wasn't just because of the kids. The biggest kick of the night had been when two kids showed up dressed as Power Rangers. They were even the white and the pink one, obviously a brother and sister duo out with their Dad. Once they were gone, I asked Tommy if he remembered them making costumes from ours. He said he knew that they had at one point but didn't think anyone would still have them. It was a cute little flashback that made us both smile.

The movie went on as well, Michael going on his murder spree as he made it back home and started going after Laurie and her friends. I hid under a blanket while he stalked down each girl and their boyfriends, jumping as he hung the one up like a string of Christmas lights. At one point, I found myself hiding my face behind Tommy's shoulder as Michael chased Laurie through the house. I clung to his sleeve as the music grew more intense by the moment. I could feel the chuckle in his chest as he laughed at the movie and me, cowering.

"Don't laugh at me." I said, daring to peek out from behind his arm. I saw Laurie run into the closet, closing the door so she could hide.

"I'm not." He said.

"Liar. You used to laugh at me when we were younger and I did the same thing." I sat up, pulling the blanket up so I could only partially see the screen.

"We've fought guys ten times scarer than Michael. How does this scare you?" He asked, glancing at me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Michael came first, I guess." I replied. "I remember watching this movie with my Dad before the divorce." Silence fell over me as I adjusted myself into the cushion.

"What's the matter?" Tommy asked, turning to face me. I shook my head.

"It's nothing really. I just can't help but find myself thinking a lot about my Dad and my parents divorce. I don't why. Maybe it's because of the baby or because I'm living here. I don't know."

"I think it makes sense." Tommy said. "You've always worried about things turning out like them. Ever since you were a kid, you've feared that you'd end up divorced because your parents did."

"Yeah. Well, look where all the worrying got me. I'm in an even worse boat than they were." I pulled the hat off my head and tossed it onto the coffee table. "My husband is in jail and I can't even divorce him yet until everything settles for his trial."

"You can't keep comparing yourself to your parents, Kim. I know it's hard but you have to."

"What if I'm not cut out to do this by myself, Tommy? What if I completely suck at being a mom? I don't have a clue about what I'm supposed to do and now I'm going to be having a tiny human to rely on me to keep them alive!"

"Hey. You're not going to do this alone. I told you that I'm going to be here just like everyone else."

"Yeah. You guys say that now but what about at 3 am when he or she is colic and won't calm down? Or when they spike a fever and I don't know how to bring it down? Or when everyone gets sick of having to help me with this baby that you all stop answering your phones? I can't expect you all to step up and help me with this baby just because I'm choosing to do this without it's father." I felt the emotion build up in my chest and I knew it was mostly due to my hormones. Tommy slid over on the couch and grabbed my hands.

"Kim, you didn't choose to do this without the father. Nick made the decision for you by acting like a jackass and landing himself in prison. And there is no way I am going to get sick of helping you. I promised you that I would be there and I don't break my promises. You shouldn't worry about being a bad mother. You are going to be the best mom there ever was. I just know it."

"Tommy, I-." I was interrupted by the front door opening and Marci running through it. She slammed it shut and I saw that she had been crying, her makeup streaming down her face. Her hair was messed up and her horns were in her hands. "Marci! Are you alright?"

"I don't want to talk about it and I don't want to go to that stupid school tomorrow!" She exclaimed before heading up the stairs. I heard her head into her room and the door slam shut. I stood up, setting the blanket on the couch.

"I'm going to go talk to her. I'll be right back." I said. I walked up the stairs, hearing her cry from her room. Stopping outside of the door, I knocked lightly. "Marci?" I called. I heard her sniff and let out a whimper. Grabbing the door knob, I turned it and opened the door slowly. I saw she was laying on her bed. Her shoes were gone and she was face down in her pillows. "Marci? What happened?" I asked, stepping in the room.

"Guys are jerks no matter what part of the country you live in." She said, unburying her head. I walked over and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Do I need to kill Craig? Cause I have an army of grown men at my disposal. They come highly recommended." She shook her head, wiping at her eyes with a tissue.

"No. I did the damage to him myself." She sighed, sitting up next to me. "Craig was supposed to meet me at the party. He showed up late and then got really drunk. When I went to find him, he was making out with another girl in the backyard. When I confronted him, he told me I was being a bitch and that I needed to realize that boys will be boys." I groaned.

"No he didn't, did he?" I asked. She nodded.

"He sure did. I told him that that was the stupidest thing I had ever heard. Then he told me that I could just bring my whore ass right back to Miami then and that maybe someone might actually want me there." She sniffled, dabbing at her eyes. I grabbed a fresh tissue from her end table and handed it to her. "Maybe he's right. Maybe I should just go back there."

"Is that what you really want to do?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No. I like living here with you."

"Then don't let some idiotic teenaged boy make your mind up for you. Boys only matter for a short time when you're a teenager. And they come and go so quickly, you'll forget about him in no time. Trust me."

"Yeah, right. Kinda hard to do when your high school boyfriend is sitting on our couch downstairs." She said, giving me a little smile. I sighed, nodding.

"Have I ever mentioned how much of a bad example I am?" She laughed, nodding. "Exactly. But I can say from my extensive knowledge based on teen dramas and soap operas that boys are just a phase until the right one comes along. And when he does, you'll know right away. I promise."

"Thanks. I just hate his guts right now."

"I know. It happens. Let yourself be mad and cry but then, get up and brush yourself off. Walk into school tomorrow with your head held high and show him exactly how little it means to you what he did. He'll realize he fucked up then and you'll have the upper hand."

"He's not gonna see much tomorrow." She said, pulling the hair ties from her pigtails. "I gave him a black eye."

"What else did you do so I know what I should be denying to the police?" I asked.

"I punched him and kicked him where it counted. And when he fell over, he might have fallen off this little balcony thing that overlooked the pool. I made sure that he came up for air before I stormed off." I chuckled, patting her knee.

"That's the Marci I know and love." I stood up. "Tommy and I are going to watch Halloween 2 if you want to join us. There's still lots of candy left over and apple cider in the fridge."

"I think I'm going to wallow for a little bit longer up here. Thanks though. And thanks for the talk, Kim."

"Anytime. I'll be downstairs if you need anything. Unless the fuzz shows up. Then climb out the window and head to Mexico." She rolled her eyes as I walked out the room. Heading downstairs, I found Tommy in the kitchen heating up some apple cider on the stove. The smell filled the entire downstairs and it made me feel like I had walked into a cider mill.

"Hey." He said, pouring the cider into two coffee mugs. He handed on to me, the cinnamon stick floating on top. "How'd it go?"

"She's fine. That Craig made out with another girl at the party. She'll be okay though. She got some revenge in the form of a black eye before she left." He snorted, grabbing his own mug as we headed towards the living room. I headed out of the front door though, needing the fresh fall air. Tommy followed behind me, sitting on the porch swing with me.

"Are we sure she's not a mini Aisha?" He asked.

"I know. She acts more and more like her every day." I took a sip of the cider and enjoyed the warmth of the liquid.

"If you're still having doubts, I think you just proved for yourself the type of mother you're going to be." Tommy said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into him for a friendly hug. He didn't move his arm back though, letting it hang there. I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I hope it's a boy." I replied. Tommy laughed loudly, his voice drifting out into the crisp night air.

"Nah. It's going to be a girl. I don't know why but I have this feeling. Either way though, they are going to be lucky to have you for their mom."

"Thanks." I said, closing my eyes. "I sure hope you're right."

"Aren't I always?" He asked. I snorted, shaking my head.

"Don't even get me started, Oliver."