Disclaimer. I don't own Ghosts. I wish I did! BBC television and the original writers own all. No copyright infringement is intended nor should be inferred.

1 What happens?

Mike lay on the bed staring at the ceiling as he thought about the day ahead. The last two years had been very odd in the grand scheme of things. First he and Alison had nowhere to live, then they had found out about Button House, that it was Alison's. It had been unbelivable. People like them didn't inherit anything, never mind a massive house in the middle of the countryside. Then there was the realisation that the house was haunted and had been for years. He couldn't see them but he knew they were there. He knew Alison was able to communicate with them. He knew it was something to do with her head injury when they had moved in but he did wonder if it was because her distant relatives had once owned the house. He closed his eyes as Alison walked back into their bedroom.

"C'mon Lazybones." Alison smiled as she saw he hadn't even thought about getting up.

"You do know what day it is."

"Of course." She laughed. "Morning Kitty."

"Kitty?"

"She's just walked in." Alison smiled at the nobelwoman. "Don't worry, I'll ask her to leave before you get dressed."

"Spoilsport." Kitty smiled as Mike sat up in the bed.

"It's Hallowe'en."

"31st October." Kitty agreed. "The veil thins. Oh." She clapped her hands. "How exiting!"

Alison shook her head. "So? You live in a haunted house. How much weirder can Hallowe'en be?" She threw his t shirt at him. "Kitty, go find the others, tell Robin I will help him with the crossword when the paper gets here. Tell Humphrey to try to keep his head and body together until I have had breakfast at least." She watched as Mike's eyes shot up. Kitty nodded enthusiastically before disappearing.

"Head and body?"

"Long story. He's nice. One of the nicest people er ghosts I've met. You'd like him." Alison started brushing her hair. "But he lost his head. Literally. He was beheaded here in the garden." She sighed. "Poor thing."

"Yeah." Mike rubbed his neck.

"Why?"

"It was the way of the world back then. Pat was shot in the neck with an arrow."

"Blimey, was he here with Robin Hood?"

"No." Alison laughed. "A scout did it. In the 80s."

"Ah." Mike nodded, not really understanding what he was hearing.

"Fanny was murdered, pushed out the window, Robin was a caveman here, Humphrey was beheaded, Mary burned as a witch - which she is still traumatised by."

"I can understand that." Mike sighed.

"Thomas was shot in a duel, the Captain was here in the War and Julian, well. You remember that MP? The one in the stockings." She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh. He's here."

Alison nodded.

"Oh." He pulled a face. "I didn't vote for him."

"We weren't old enough to vote back then." Alison smiled. "What is worrying you? Really?"

"Its Hallowe'en."

"Yeah. And."

"Its not just those ghosts is it? I mean there are more."

"Oh yeah." Alison waved a hand. "The pigeon, the Plague Girl. I don't know her name but she can be heard singing Ring a ring a roses. So I think of her as Rosie. Sad really, so young." She shook her head as Mike threw the covers off his legs. "The plague ghosts in the basement. Various others that pop in and out. They might be here a day or it could be centuries before they cross over."

"Cross over?" Mike pulled a face as Alison started to put her shoes on.

"Yeah, go to the light, cross the boundaries. Go to Heaven."

"Oh." Mike nodded. "Right. And today the veil thins."

"Why are you suddenly so obsessed?"

"I'm not."

"Doesn't sound like it."

"Only people have parties on Hallowe'en."

"We are NOT having a party. Not after last time." She shuddered as she thought of the carnage the last party had caused and the upset to Fanny and the others meant it hadn't been worth the hassle. "No."

"Not us!" Mike agreed. "But what if they do? What if they do? What if they ask all their ghostly friends over? What if I am able to see them? Because its Hallowe'en!"

Alison frowned. "I don't think it works like that." Mike shrugged, leaving the bedroom as she sat on the bed. She looked around the room, knowing she was alone. "Does it?"

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a/n please review