"All the candy is hidden…"

"That's good. I don't understand why you insist on hiding candy in the yard in plastic Easter eggs on Halloween…"

"Because Bones, 2020 sucks, it's taken away almost everything we would normally do. I wanted to give Christine, Hank Michael Vincent, Katie, Lance Taylor, Isiah, and Jordan a little fun since they can't trick or treat this year."

"I understand, but why can't you just gave them treat bags? Larger versions of the ones I made for Christine's class…"

"Treat bags aren't that fun. Looking for candy is more fun. Plus, it gets them outside so they can run off energy. I did do some treat bags with lager non candy prizes in them. Some of the eggs have money in them in addition to candy. "

'Where did you find plastic eggs this time of year anyway?"

"I used the large ones we had . I ordered Halloween themed smaller ones off the internet. They're black with white Halloween things on them. I got some orange pumpkin shaped ones too."

"I'm sure the children will enjoy everything."

"I hope so. How is dinner coming along?"

"Good. The gigantic pot of blood is simmering away, the eyeballs are in the fridge waiting to be baked. I'm mincing the garlic for the garlic butter for the bread now. I'll boil the worms when everyone is outside getting their candy."

Booth looked at Brennan with a slightly horrified expression, she laughed. "I made spaghetti and meatballs with caser salad and garlic bread. I was just getting into the spirt of things. Though I can't think of Halloween themed names for the garlic bread and salad…"

"…Um the garlic bread can be vampire shields… and I don't know for the salad…. You can call the dressing ghost snot or slime…."

"The children will love that…I also thought they could have flavored sparkling water. Angela is bringing cupcakes and Cam is bringing pumpkin bars."

"Good. dinner sounds gross, but tasty too."

Christine came into the kitchen, "mommy, what's for dinner? I'm starving."

'Christine, you aren't starving, you're just extremely hungry. We're having worms and blood with eyeballs, vampire shields and caser salad with ghost snot. You need to get your costume on everyone will be here soon."

"I don't want to wear my costume at home! I wanna go trick or treating with Emma like last year!"

"I know and I'm sorry you can't it's not safe to go out."

"But Emma's going trick or treating!"

"Emma's parents are taking unnecessary risks with her health and the health of those she comes in contact with. Someone she gets treats from might be sick and unknowingly pass their germs on to her then she'll pass them on to everyone she comes in contact with getting treats and at school and anywhere else she goes. Some people who get the germs might not get sick while others might get very sick. It's a risk daddy and I aren't willing to take with yours and Hank's health…"

"But how come everybody can come over here?"

'Because everybody at the lab and daddy gets tested twice a week and all of our tests are negative. And you and Hank were tested when you got your shots Monday. Michael Vincent, Katie, Lance , Tyler, Isiah and Jordan were too."

"it's not fair! I'm not putting on my costume!"

"You don't have to. You can still look for the candy daddy hid in the yard with everyone else. Michael Vincent and Katie are spending the night." Christine said nothing and went to her room. A half hour later Brennan finished wrapping the last loaf of homemade garlic bread in foil and went to help Hank get into his skeleton costume. Booth was in the kitchen putting the garlic bread in the oven. "Daddy, do I look like mommy's skeletons?" Booth turned around and smiled. "You look just like the skeletons in mommy's lab, but scarier." Hank grinned and grabbed a carrot off the counter and popped it into his mouth. A few minutes later Christine walked into the kitchen. "Do you like my costume, daddy?" Booth looked over and saw Christine standing there in a witches costume "You're the scariest witch I've ever seen."

"Cool! Mommy painted my face green."

"She did a really good job…"

"When everybody gets here can I answer the door?"

"Yes, stand on your stepstool to see out the peephole."

"Okay." Christine went to go get her stepstool.

"How do I look, Booth?"

Booth turned around expecting to see Brennan in her Wonder Woman costume, instead he saw Brennan standing there in a Minnie Mouse costume. "No Wonder Woman this year?"

"No, when I took Christine and Hank to choose their costumes, Hank saw the Mickey Mouse costume and insisted I get it for myself. I convinced him I should be Minnie mouse. I got Mickey Mouse for you…"

"I was looking forward to being a nerd squint and you being Wonder Woman… especially tonight after the littles go to bed…"

"Mickey and Minnie can have fun after the littles go to bed too…"

Booth laughed. "I'm going to go change…"

A little bit later Booth came back into the living room. "Daddy! You're Mickey!"

"Yeah, do you like it?"

"Uh-huh."

"Come sit on the couch and we can take our picture with Minnie and the witch."

"Okay." Hank climbed up into Booth's lap, Christine climbed up in Brennan's lap, everybody smiled as Booth held up his phone. As soon as the picture was taken the doorbell rang, Christine ran to get it. "Use your stool!"

Christine opened the door to the Hodgins family. "Happy Halloween!"

"Happy Halloween! What are you supposed to be Michael Vincent?"

"A Covid-19 virus molecule…"

"Cool."

"Yeah, dad got a picture of it and mom put it on a sweatshirt…"

"Cool."

"Christine, let everyone inside…" Christine moved aside and let everyone else enter the house. Hodgins wheeled into the kitchen; Angela followed behind with a big box of Halloween cupcakes.

"Nice costume…"

"Yeah, well Katie is obsessed with Winnie the Pooh, she couldn't choose what she wanted to be so Angie decided that I'd be owl, she'd be Tigger and Katie would be Pooh. We tried to get Michael Vincent to be Eeyore or piglet , but he insisted on being Covid…"

"The things we do for our kids. Hank wanted Bones to be Mickey Mouse , but she convinced him that she'd be Minnie Mouse and I'd be Mickey…"

Hodgins laughed, "Thanks for doing this. Michael Vincent is upset we won't let him trick or treat."

"So is Christine. Bones made worms and blood with eyeballs with vampire shields and Creaser salad with ghost snot. AKA Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread."

"Sounds good to me…"

Daisy and Lance were the next to arrive, "Happy Halloween, Lance! What are you supposed to be?"

"My dad…"

"That's stu-"

"Christine!"

'That's cool"

Daisy walked into the kitchen carrying a container of pumpkin shaped rice Krispy treats.

"Happy Halloween, Dr. Brennan. Thanks for inviting us."

"Happy Halloween, Daisy! You're welcome. Is everything okay with Lance?"

"Yes, he's just had a lot of questions about Lance lately. What happened and if Lance knew about him…He wanted to be Lance for Halloween, luckily I had some of his clothes and a suit still so I had them altered." Daisy shrugged her shoulders

"He's cute. If you want Booth and I to talk to him…."

"Thanks Dr. B. I dressed up as a cat, it was Lance's favorite costume of mine… do you need help?"

"You can toss the salad."

"Okay."

Cam was the last to arrive with Tyler Isaiah and Jordan. "Happy Halloween, everybody! Sorry we're late. Tyler couldn't decide on a costume." Cam put the pumpkin bars on the counter. "Arastoo got called in right before we left, otherwise he'd be here too…"

"it's fine. So, what are you Tyler?"

"Vampire…"

"A classic!"

"I'm a pirate, uncle Booth."

"Very cool Isaiah."

"What are you, Jordan?"

"Hand sanitizer."

"Very clever. Now that everybody is here. I've hidden dozens of plastic eggs and treat bags in the backyard. Not all of them have candy inside. You can keep whatever you find. The eggs hidden on the deck are for Hodgins to find with Katie. Go outside and have fun." The kids ran outside the adults followed Booth walked over and stood next to Cam, "Nice costume, Camille."

"Thanks, can't go wrong with Cat Woman… You make a good Mickey…"

Booth laughed, "Hank saw it and wanted Bones to be Mickey, but she convinced him that she should be Minnie and I should be Mickey."

"The first Halloween we had the boys we all dressed up as characters from the Wizard of Oz. I was Dorothy Arastoo was the tin man, Tyler was the Wizard, Isiah was the scarecrow and Jordan was the cowardly lion."

"Cool. That movie scared Christine so bad."

"The boys love it."

"Daddy, Chrissy is taking all the eggs I see before I put them in my bucket….."

Booth rolled his eyes in Cam's direction, to Hank he said," Lets go get your eggs from your sister. " Booth took Hank's hand and walked toward Christine.

An hour later everyone was inside eating their worms and blood with eyeballs and vampire shields. after they were done the kids opened their eggs and traded and started eating candy while Booth started The Tower of Terror playing. At the movie's end Angela stood up. "I think Hodgins and I are going to head home. Thanks for having everybody over, Bren and Booth. We all enjoyed it. Thanks for letting the kids spend the night."

"You're welcome. We're glad everyone enjoyed it."

"I wanna spend the night…"

"Me too…"

"Me three…"

Booth looked at Brennan, she nodded. "The more the marrier…."

"Cool!"

"Are you two sure you don't mind?"

"We're sure."

"I'll be back with the changes of clothes, Pajamas and toothbrushes I keep in the car for the boys. Are you staying Tyler?'

"Nah, I'm going home and enjoying the peace and quiet…"

"TYLER!"

"I keep the same for Lance in my car I'll go get it."

"Sounds good. while everybody changes I'm going to get the sleeping bags and air mattresses, everybody can camp out in the living room and we'll watch Casper and have popcorn…."

"Yay!"

"The sleepover breaks up after lunch." Cam and Daisy nodded.

A few hours later Booth and Brennan were standing in the kitchen looking into the living room and the seven sleeping children on the floor.

"Do you think everybody had a good Halloween, Bones?

"Yes. Though Hank is still mad Christine stole his eggs.."

"I have leftover candy I'll give him some."

"Good idea."

Booth opened a cabinet and pulled out a treat bag, handing it to Brennan. "Happy Halloween, Bones." Brennan opened the bag, "You got me vegan peanut butter cups?"

"Yep and those vegan dark chocolate sea salt caramels you like and a candy apple.. plus, a coffee gift card."

'Thanks, Booth." Brennan kissed his cheek before unwrapping a peanut butter cup.

A/N: it's a little late, but I hope everyone likes my Halloween story. My friends' parents held a Halloween Easter egg hunt for their grandkids this year because they couldn't trick or treat. I saw her Facebook post and it sounded like something Booth would do so…. And yes, her son dressed up as hand sanitizer this year…