Halloween: Keller & Galen

(WARNING: Keller is highly OC. You've been warned so don't complain when it comes to that)

Keller stared at Iliana.

"Iliana… why?"

"Well, I thought you and Galen were moving at a fairly acceptable rate until I realized you too haven't moved any farther into your relationship since like… hmm… maybe since it started. So, I'm helping."

"How is sending us to a haunted maze helping?"

"Just do me a favor and act scared, please."

"Act scared?" Keller asked incredulously. "What good will that do?"

Iliana sighed. "Keller, Keller, Keller, you're a very intelligent girl, but you have no idea in the areas that really count. If you act scared, Galen will have to hold you when you freak out."

Keller looked confused and then shocked and then horrified. "Are you suggesting that I trick Galen?"

"Not trick, Keller. Just… ehem… showing him that you want him to hold you. Ya know, since you're such a scaredy-cat when it comes to love. Luckily for you I am very knowledgeable on the subject and am entirely willing to help you."

"…" Keller stared.

"If you're wondering, you really are that pathetic when it comes to love."

Keller sighed. "Alright, alright… bring it on. What do I have to do?"

"Well, I took the liberty of talking Galen into wearing a… well… I suppose it's something like an English gentleman from oh… about one-hundred years ago… I don't know. And you get to wear this maid costume! Isn't it cute?"

Keller stared. "Iliana, I realize that you are trying to help. In fact, I even realize that your plan is nearly foolproof. But there is no way I'm putting on that frilly little nearly nonexistent piece of fabric."

"Don't be difficult! Just put the darned thing on!" Iliana demanded. "I chose this for you specifically! I looked so hard! Please, Keller, please?"
Keller choked. "Fine."

This was how she and Galen ended up standing in the entrance to a very large haunted maze.

And poor Galen still didn't seem to know what to think of her frilly, short skirt. He would look at it, stare as though he was trying to understand how Iliana had gotten her into it, and then he would look her in the eye as though asking for an explanation. Then the process was repeated.

Keller wouldn't have minded except Galen wasn't the only guy who kept giving her looks. In fact, some weird guy had just given her a very insulting wolf whistle before entering the maze ahead of her and Galen.

Keller twitched. "Come on," she muttered, "let's get this over with."

"It seems a bit strange that someone else would be planning our dates," Galen said, taking her hand as he glared at a guy who was giving Keller an appreciative glance.

"If I didn't love her so much, I'd kill her," Keller sighed.

Galen chuckled. They walked about fifteen yards into the maze before they came across their first spook. It was a group of zombies. They were dressed in all white and had red paint all over them. The trouble with acting scared of them was that she could smell them long before she saw them and she could smell the components that made their costumes up.

"Since they aren't allowed to touch us we should be able to walk right through, shouldn't we?" Galen said half to himself.

Keller nodded. "We're coming through so move it," she stated starting toward the group.

They tried to scare them, in their defense. They talked about eating their brains, they moaned and groaned, they reached out as though to grab them, but they didn't touch them. Keller and Galen walked through.

"Somehow I imagine this is just going to be weird," he said.

Keller thought back to Iliana's orders to her. "Oh, you have no idea," she muttered under her breath.

Galen gave her a weird look, though he clearly realized Keller wasn't going to explain herself so he let it go.

Keller sniffed the air and froze. "Uh-uh. No."

Galen turned and looked at her. "What?"

"They have…" she looked horrified. At this point there was the sound of barking dogs. Keller shrieked and latched hold of Galen. "Dogs. Oh goddess! They have dogs!"

Galen stared at her wide eyed clearly trying to decide if this was a joke.

Which it wasn't. Unfortunately Keller's cat side was terrified of dogs.*

"Keller, you're afraid of the dogs?" He sounded vaguely amused.

"You don't understand because you haven't always been a cat. To you they're just dogs; to me they're natural enemies."

"You don't have to worry, Keller," he said. "I won't let the dogs hurt you. In fact, we should probably be more worried about you hurting the dogs."

"I've never hurt a dog! I simply climbed a tree to escape the evil beast."

"Do you want to go back?" Galen asked.

"I'll never hear the end of it," she hissed. "If you have to drag me kicking and screaming we will get to the end of this stupid, dog-infested maze!"

Galen half smiled at her. "Yes, mistress," he kissed her hand. Keller began stammering.

"I… uh… uhm… I…" she sighed dreamily. She barely noticed when Galen started pulling her forward.

Clearly Galen was more of a flirt than she had initially realized. She was going to assume it was only with her though.

She didn't think much about the dogs until she heard them again, only closer.

"Galen," she whispered urgently.

"It's okay. If the people can't touch us I'm sure the dogs are in some sort of cage or something."

This didn't really sooth her so she clutched his arm tighter.

Which could only mean she was getting nervous. Which could only mean… "Galen, if we get out of this alive," she babbled, "let's get married. We can have as many children as you want. As long as I get at least two girls. And we should name our first son after you. Wouldn't that be something? Galen is a great name don't you think? I think so." And it continued like this. Galen looked entirely shocked and total unsure as to how to handle the situation.

"Keller, we're definitely going to make it out of here alive."

"Okay," she said, still babbling. "What should we name our first daughter then? I was thinking we could name her something like Rachel, you know kind of like Rashel but not. What do you think?"

"Rachel is a lovely name, Keller," he said. "But I don't think you need to start making promises about 'if we make it' quite yet."

Keller stared at him for a moment. "We can name our second daughter Elaina."

Galen looked scandalized. "We're not even married yet, Keller!"

"Didn't I say if we got out of here alive we would get married? Maybe I didn't. I was pretty sure I did though. But you're definitely right, Galen, we aren't married yet. Speaking of which, have you ever been to a wedding? I've never been to a wedding. Galen, I don't want dogs at our wedding."

Galen apparently gave up.

"Okay, I promise there won't be dogs at our wedding."

Keller sighed. "Um… how do we get out of here?"

"We just… well… I… I hate mazes," Galen said, realizing that Keller wouldn't stop freaking out until they were out of the maze.

At this point a person dressed as a werewolf leapt out getting face to face with Keller.

"G-G-G-G-GALEN!" she shrieked. If she had been attached to him before then he didn't even know how to describe what she was doing now. It was like she was trying to meld into him.

"It's okay, Keller. He's just an actor."

Keller sniffled.

This was how the entire maze went. Something jumped out and Keller wouldn't stop freaking out until it was proven not to be a dog. Galen didn't even want to think about the time they finally ran into the barking dogs, which turned out to be on leashes. The dogs were obviously well trained but there was no soothing Keller.

In some ways it was nice since she was showing more affection than she really ever had before. On the other hand the more freaked out she got the more she talked about their children. Children that did not exist. Children that she talked about like they would be in existence within a year. And poor Galen was just trying to be a gentleman, but she was making it exceedingly difficult.

They saw the exit and Galen half drug her out.

"Galen…"

"…Yeah…"

"Please don't tell."

Galen nodded.

"Thank you," she murmured, pressing her lips to his quickly.

He half smiled. "No problem."

Iliana pulled up in her car. "Oh my gosh! You didn't do a single thing I told you to do, did you?"

"Um…" Keller mumbled. "Not… exactly…"

"Ugh, I knew it. Honestly, I don't know what to do with you two. You'll be twenty next year***! Have you two even talked about marriage?"

Galen and Keller looked at each other and began laughing hysterically. "Well, Iliana, we did talk about it pretty recently," Keller stated.

"Thank goodness," Iliana said, rolling her eyes. "'Cause I want nieces and nephews."

"Alright, time to go," Keller said. She pushed Galen into the car.

Iliana glanced back at them briefly. "You two are so weird."

"You have no idea."

*Yes, I realize that this is highly improbable, but… I needed something and it seemed more probable than my other options.

**In case anyone was wondering I made Keller babble because I decided to make her very out of character. Why? I don't know… I just decided to.

***I know I have other Halloween stories. And I just want you to be aware that not all of the stories are taking place on the same Halloween. So Keller and Galen can be 19. Just making sure no one got confused on that note.

Please R&R.