Getting close to the end... As always, I'm not Janet. Thanks for reading!

We stepped out of the crypt and I could see flashlights moving around the graveyard. Wheaton must have shut the door. Finding us in the dark cemetery would have been nearly impossible. I started calling to the people and I saw the flashlights bobbing our way. The first person I saw was Ranger. Four beams of light hit the three of us. I saw Ranger and Tank on one side, Mia, and Joe on the other. I walked over to Ranger and looked up at him. His face was hidden in the shadows but I could still feel the tension radiating off him. I moved my hand up to cup his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Then, I just hugged him and let my tension go. I needed his arms around me to hold me up.

"What a night to do this on." I heard Joe remark.

"Why?" Mia and I asked at the same time.

"It's Devil's Night, babe." Ranger murmured, rubbing my back.

"The night that crime is a tradition. All the hoodlums play pranks and vandalize everything they can." Joe added.

I looked back over my shoulder, still held against Ranger's chest. Marcus and Andy were still close to the door of the crypt in the light. Andy had Marcus's hand, you know, just to help him out in the dark cemetery.

"Daniel Wheaton is in there, with all of his stolen bodies." I nodded and Mia and Joe made their way into the crypt. They had the fun job. We answered the questions that we had to and we finally made our escape late that night.

I went home and the only thing on my mind was sleep, but I was too worried about the nightmares. I padded into the kitchen and got some Ben and Jerry's and went and sat on the couch with Ranger. I curled up against him and watched the quiet game until I found my voice.

"I met Jenna Carter today."

"I thought you would."

"There's a lot I don't know about you, isn't there?" I said this so quietly that I wasn't sure he heard me. My eyes stayed on the TV and I jammed the ice cream covered spoon in my mouth to keep myself from jabbering. He moved against me and repositioned us so that he was holding me.

"You know me, babe." He whispered in my ear. "The rest are just details." I relaxed against him and I fell into a nightmare free sleep.

XxXxXxX

I woke up with a start to find myself in bed alone. I swung my legs out and walked to the kitchen. Andy had his head on his arms and I'm pretty sure he was snoring. Ranger was working across from him on the laptop. Someday, I'm going to catch him playing solitaire or something. Then we'll see who the bad ass is.

"Morning, guys." I said loud enough to startle Andy awake. I looked over my shoulder at Ranger's smirk and I grinned back. It was noon. Hey, I'm not lazy; I've just had a stressful week. But I was glad to have my best friend back and it was Halloween!

I groaned against the counter. I hadn't made it shopping all week. I had no costume. Nothing. Damn.

"Babe?" Ranger quirked his eyebrow at me when I sat down.

"I don't have a costume. And the ball's tonight. In six hours."

Andy groaned, too. "We need to go shopping."

"I think I'm just going to have to ride with Andy. Then we can go straight from shopping to the party."

Ranger nodded. "I can meet you there."

I turned to Andy. "Does that work for you?"

"Absolutely. Marcus is going, too."

I nodded. Ranger stood up and kissed me. "Call if you need anything, babe."

"So, shopping?" Andy asked when Ranger was out the door.

"Let's do this."

XxXxXxX

With Marcus at the wheel, we made it through Pennsylvania in record time. This was good, because we were very late. About ten minutes from the mansion, we stopped in a small town to change at the gas station. I hadn't been able to find Wonder Woman. There was nothing to work with even left in the stores. So, I did what I do best and I got creative. Now that I put the outfit on, I was having some serious doubt. Too late now, I decided and adjusted stuff in the mirror.

I walked out of the bathroom and found Marcus. He was the first one done changing. I looked him over from behind and grinned. He looked perfect. Marcus turned to me, his trench coat flaring slightly. He was dressed as Kyle Reese, from the first Terminator. 80s style high top Nikes and all. Trench coat, raggedy jeans, ripped shirt and a fake sawed off shotgun. I laughed and he looked down, confused. He signed 'what?' the same time he said it.

"You look hot." He grinned at my admission and gestured for me to turn.

"You do too. But who are you?"

I smiled. "It's a secret."

We both turned to Andy and I nearly fell into Marcus laughing. Andy looked great. Actually, he looked amazing…but he was wearing tights and the immature part of me thought it was hilarious.

"Who?" Marcus signed/spoke. I had noticed that he was doing that more and more. I think he was trying to teach us.

"You don't know?" Andy turned in a circle and looked expectant. "I'm Robin Hood!"

I laughed again and he glared at me.

"I take from the rich and give to the poor, don't I?"

"Andy, it's perfect. It's just that it's too perfect. You are Robin Hood. And now you're wearing tights."

"And you are, dear girl?"

"It's a secret."

The drive to the mansion was absolutely gorgeous. There were still colorful trees in this part of the state. The rolling hills and the clean air made me happy. I'm a Jersey girl, born and raised, but this state could become my home away from home very easily. We passed under open gates with a sign on top that declared Thompson Manor. The drive up was long and I think we passed an orchard that had a stone fence. Then came the sloping lawns up to the mansion. I hadn't seen a picture of the place and seeing it in the twilight took my breath away.

It was huge and sprawling. I have never understood that term until I saw this house. It was enormous and beautiful. We drove up to the door and a valet took to car. We walked up to the door and it was opened by a tall, white haired gentleman. I almost giggled with nerves, because this man looked just like I had always pictured Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's butler, as a kid. He smiled and let us in.

"May I take your coat, Miss Stephanie?" I allowed him to help me out of it.

"Thank you, Mr.-"

"It just Pennington, Miss." He gave me a warm smile and he pointed me in the direction I was supposed to go. Somehow, I had gotten separated from the guys. I walked toward the music, admiring the decoration. I know this sounds crazy and I was feeling kinda crazy, but it felt comfortable. It was a cozy mansion. Who would have thought?

"Mask, miss?" A woman held a tray of masks. I took a mask that had a stick and I smiled at the woman with a quiet thank you.

I was a little overwhelmed when I entered the ballroom. I could recognize everyone I saw and a few I could at least place at Rangeman. I saw Mary Lou and her husband, dancing as Raggedy Ann and Andy. Mia and Joe were sipping champagne and chatting with a few other cops, dressed as pirates. Yeah, like matching Captain Jack Sparrows. Cute, huh?

Andy and Marcus were signing to each other in a corner and they were joined by Tank and Lula. Lula was surprisingly subtle as Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile and I'm not sure who Tank was. Maybe a GI Joe? Lester and Connie were dancing to their own beat on the dance floor. Connie was stunning and I giggled when I figured out who she was. She was Betty Boop! Lester was dressed as an old school rapper. He had a clock around his neck and baggy jeans held up by suspenders. What a pair.

I looked around, feeling oddly at home. These were my friends. I frowned and looked around for the one person that I was missing. Suddenly, I felt that tingle on my neck.

"Diana Prince?" He spoke in a low tone. I turned and looked him over. His hair was pulled back and he was wearing a mouthwatering black tuxedo.

"Bruce Wayne." I grinned up at him. He put a hand on the back of my shimmering blue dress and I lifted my mask and kissed him.

"Shall we?" He asked and held out his arm. I slid mine through and entered the room with him. We walked over to the four in the corner and Lula hugged me.

"Who are you?" She asked as we parted. I grinned and said my usual answer. "Hunh."

Mia and Joe walked over, scanning the six of us like the cops that they were.

"I still don't know who the host is. It sure is beautiful," Mia looked around. I smiled and nodded.

"On my invitation, it said that this was the crème de la crème here." Lula added.

"Maybe to someone, this is." Mia said thoughtfully, looking at me.

"Want to dance?" Ranger murmured in my ear. I smiled and grabbed his hand. He led me out and we slow danced to several songs. Returning to our group, Ranger offered his hand to Mia and I hid my giggles as she accepted. Any excuse to get him alone and tell him all his faults. I watched her talk and him remain stoic the whole dance.

"Odd pair, isn't it?" Joe said beside me. I nodded and we watched them. By the second song, Ranger had spoken a few times and Mia calmed down. When they came back to us, Mia wasn't Ranger's best friend, but she seemed to have a respect for him.

"I still don't understand why Daniel Wheaton would kidnap Andy and steal all those bodies." Mia said. Naturally, she was the one to bring up work. Joe rolled his eyes.

"He was trying to use him as a father figure. That and he thought all of this would bring his mother back." I replied.

"We misunderstood his intentions. I thought the first time I met him that he was hitting on me, but he wasn't sexually interested in me. He was too childlike to think like that. When I thought he was flirting, he was actually just trying to use me as his father."

"Isn't it ironic?" We turn to Marcus. "Wheaton chose a guy that was terrified of dead people to "marry" his dead mother."

"That and I'm almost ten years younger than him." We fell silent, watching the party around us.

"Can I show you something?" Ranger whispered in my ear. I nodded. He led me out and told me that he had found this beautiful place earlier. He led me up a couple of floors and we walked down a hallway to a hidden alcove. When I saw it, I gasped. It was a hidden balcony over a conservatory filled with plants. There was a solid wall of glass in front of us, looking out over the well-lit grounds.

"Happy Halloween, babe." I stood against the railing looking down and he stood right behind me. He wrapped an arm around me and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Welcome to the Batcave."