Disclaimer: I don't a gosh darn thing except maybe your soul. If only you'd sell it to me.

Part 1 - A Day Out

Takes place between Hold the Front Page and Puppy Love

thought I'd give you some fluff before the angst comes to shit on your feels

"I think we should do somethin' nice for Annie," Tom said one morning while they were opening up the shop, "when's 'er birthday, do ya think?"

"How should I know?" Hal replied from behind the counter where he was rearranging all of the condiments and cutlery.

"Well I was thinkin' we should do somethin' nice for 'er since she's always doin' so much around the 'ouse and cleaning and doin' laundry –"

"Yes Tom I am well aware of the tasks that Annie performs on a daily basis," he responded quite sourly.

Tom turned to look at Hal. He could smell trouble coming.

"What's got your knickers in a twist, mate?" Tom said both understanding and just a little bit pissed.

Hal sighed and looked at the young werewolf who had already been inspecting his vampire friend. Hal liked Tom, he really did. The werewolf was everything the stereotypical werewolf should be. He had a roguish accent and a rough style of dress, all wife beaters and baggy pants.

And yet he was sweet. Hal had seen the way he could be with Eve; Hal knew Tom could be gentle. He could be strong and steady yet kind and sweet. He could also be blunt as hell.

"Nothing, I've just been thinking," Hal replied tightly.

"'ave ya?" Tom said excitedly, "I've been thinkin' too. I've been thinkin' we should do something nice for Annie. You know like to thank 'er for everything and such."

Hal sighed in both irritation and defeat. The boy was obviously not going to get off the subject so Hal had two choices a) ignore him and continue on shinning the tea spoons or b) play along.

The teaspoons had already been shined.

"All right what did you have in mind?" Hal asked.

Tom smiled came slow and sly. For some reason Hal felt just the slightest bit scared. He should have just gone with the spoons.

Annie began everyday with a nice hot cup of tea, she couldn't drink it of course but Hal knew she liked her routine. Hal was a man who had always appreciated detail and he therefore paid great attention to the details of his housemates' lives.

He could hear her every morning as she moved about the house. He could just imagine her checking every nook and crannie for any monster or ghoul. Always searching for something she could never find, something that terrified her. Hal didn't know what it was but he wished he could find it for her. She would walk past his door lean in as if listening and waiting for something. Then she would walk over to Tom's door and do the same.

"Just checking up on my boys," Annie had said when he had asked her about it.

It was a sweet gesture if not a bit invasive. Annie was that way, invasive. It had driven him mad at first but he got over it. He got over it the same way he got over Tom's morning vampire-killing practice and the way he could find no peace and quiet during his weekly yoga session. He suspected Annie and Tom watched him and giggled about it behind his back. Uncultured fools.

Hal's day usually started exactly 33 minutes after Annie started down to fix herself her daily cup of tea but on one particular morning he decided to start early. On the morning after Tom had made his suggestion Hal was waiting for her in the kitchen.

"Good morning," Hal greeted from his seat at the table as Annie walked through the double doors.

"Oh!" Annie said startled by the interruption in her routine, "Oh, Hal you scared me what are you doing up so early?"

"I'm always up this early I just never come out of my room until later," Hal responded to which Annie could only say 'oh'.

Annie had been a bit careful around him after his break down after the whole debacle with Yvonne and Adam.

"So what are you doing up so early?" Annie asked obviously uncomfortable with the silence.

"I've come to warn you about Tom," Hal said taking a sip from the mug of tea he had just prepared, "I've made tea."

Annie gave Hal a questioning stare but he said nothing of an answer. So Annie fixed herself a mug. She sat down across from him placing her mug on the small table between them. He smiled at her of course with Hal the twitching of the corners of his mouth could be equally received as grimace.

"So what's up with Tom then," Annie said wrapping her hands around the warm mug.

She couldn't technically feel the warmth but she knew that's how it should feel.

"Nothing bad but he has a surprise for you," Hal replied, "I just thought you should be prepared."

"Oh gosh is this about the pool," Annie said looking absolutely distressed, "oh god has he started on it?"

Annie stood up so quickly she almost spilled her tea. She ran to the nearest window but saw nothing that would confirm her suspicion. At her outburst Hal let out a genuine laugh. The pool had been looming over Annie ever since Tom had started talking about it. She knew she should tell him that building a pool in the backyard was simply out of the question but she just didn't know how to break the news to him.

"No no," Hal called to her still smiling, the curve of his lips steady and sincere, "nothing like that though he has been talking about it every day at work. It drives me mad."

"Oh thank god," Annie said taking her seat again and sinking deep down into her chair letting out a huge breath.

Hal surveyed her. Perhaps Tom's surprise would be helpful. The poor ghost looked completely knackered.

"Feeling a bit tired lately?" Hal inquired politely.

Annie only nodded and wrapped her hands around the mug of tea. She almost started to raise it her lips but she didn't. She was dead and it didn't work that way anymore.

"I dunno what it is," Annie said a scowl settling on her features.

She looked petulant and young. It was a reminder for Hal just how young she actually was, Annie was an infant compared to him in age. He forgot sometimes.

"I get so tired sometimes," she continued, "and that doesn't make sense because..well.. I'm dead aren't I? And dead people shouldn't be able to get tired but I get tired. I get so very tired."

Hal frowned at her confession. He didn't like the thought of Annie being tired. More than helpful, Tom's surprise might be required.

"Sometimes I don't even feel like my feet are touching the ground," Annie said softly and Hal felt like she wasn't even talking to him anymore, she was just talking, "I forget that I'm still here. Everything else seems like a dream and I'm just waiting to wake up. I get the feeling that I might be transparent. And the worst part is, is that I don't care. I really don't care, and that scares me, Mitchell."

Everything was quiet after that. Hal didn't say a word and Annie was too lost in thought. She hadn't even been talking to him. She was talking to her dead lover. He didn't take offense, in fact Hal just found the whole thing very sad. Sad that she didn't see him and sad that she was all he could see.

"Oh gosh," Annie said snapping out of her reverie, "I'm sorry, I'm just rambling. What were you saying about Tom?"

She didn't even notice she what she had said. Hal shook his head and almost reached out to put his hand over her quivering one. He didn't, of course.

"No, Annie, please," Hal said putting a hand up to silence her, "don't be sorry for feeling a certain way. You've already seen how I can get. You can be honest with me, if you like."

It was a strange move for Hal. He had never been one for small talk or talk in general. Hal was a man of action but many things had changed since his arrival at Honolulu Heights.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Tom will-"

"We have an hour or so before Tom comes down," Hal said, "we're a team right? All of us are a team and we have to look out for each other."

"Yea," Annie said unsure at first but then smiled as he smiled, "yes you're right."

"And so I told him that I didn't want any bloody sweet potatoes," Annie said waving her hands about in a ridiculous manner, "I put my foot down, Hal."

She slammed her fist down on the table shaking the whole thing all the way through. Hal jumped up at the sound and looked from her fist back to her face, which was stern and almost vicious. His eyes were wide and he felt fear for his wellbeing.

"Need less to say," she said breaking the tension, "I went home with two bags."

Annie laughed and Hal smiled, tightlipped and toothless. The story had been amusing but Hal didn't understand how they had somehow fallen into a story swap. Annie telling stories from her time alive and Hal chipping in a strange anecdote of his time in the cafe, which was actually just a run through of the tasks he preformed there and one story of his time with Leo and Pearl. He didn't tell her about anything before that.

"Annie!" Tom called from the parlor.

"Oh no!" Annie said as soon as she heard him, "you didn't get to tell me what he was plannin'. Quick! Tell me now."

But Hal had no intention of doing so. He just slipped out of his seat making a beeline for the double doors.

"I never planned to," he said a small smug grin on this face.

"Hal get back here," Annie hissed as Tom called for her again.

She reached out her hands trying to grab onto his shirt but he expertly maneuvered around her out stretched arms. Annie glared at the swinging doubles doors that were left behind in the wake of Hal's escape.

"Anni- oh! Good mornin' Hal, 'ave you seen Annie about?" she heard Tom say and before Hal could give Tom an answer she rent-a-ghosted out to meet them.

"Here!" she said, "here I am."

"Good mornin' Annie," the young werewolf said; he was in an impeccable mood.

"Good morning," she said smiling back but the smile was large, abnormally so.

Tom didn't seem to notice or he just didn't care. He was far too pleased with himself. Annie glanced over at Hal who still had that stupid smug grin on his face. She made face at him and mouthed something intelligible.

"Annie," Tom said snapping Annie's attention back to the werewolf.

"Yes?" she said sweetly her smile back in place.

"Get out," Tom said simply.

"What?" Annie said completely taken aback.

"Get. Out." Tom enunciated and grabbed her shoulders pushing her in the direction of the door.

"Wait," she said trying her best to break free, "now wait just- Tom what are- WAIT!"

Tom stopped and let go of her shoulders. Annie turned swiftly almost losing her balance.

"What exactly do you think you're doing, Thomas?" Annie said breathing heavily.

"I'm gettin' you out of 'ere," Tom replied matter-of-factly.

"And why exactly are you doing that?" Annie said regaining her breath.

"You need to get out 'ah this place, Annie," Tom replied earnestly, "it ain't good for ya health stayin' cooped up in 'ere everyday. You need some fresh air, a change of scenery."

"What Tom is trying to say," Hal said, "is that you need a day off, Annie. I think we all do."

"You really do," Tom seconded, "you spend so much time trapped in 'ere."

"Trapped? I'm not trapped in here," Annie said skeptical of their statements as true as it was, "I'm taking care of the house and Eve. Remember? The baby that we keep up stairs?"

"Yes Annie but you also need some time to yourself and we need sometime to – bond," Hal said as though he didn't like the way the word tasted on his tongue, "with little Eve. We are in a way her parents as well."

Annie was in shock but she snapped out of it instantly. There was no way in hell she was leaving Eve in the care of those two Hal barely knew how to hold her correctly.

"Ooooh no," Annie said marching past the two towards the stairs and when Tom moved to block her she just rent-a-ghosted right around him.

"Annnnieee," Tom whined as she stomped her way up the stairs towards Eve's room.

"Well that went over well," Hal mumbled.

Tom just glared at him. He was actually quite crestfallen. Tom didn't know how to bake so he couldn't make a cake. He didn't have any money so he couldn't get her a gift or even card but Tom had hoped he could give Annie something. All he had though was time.

"If I have to get out," Annie said suddenly appearing at the bottom of the stairs pram in hand, "then we all have to get out."

Tom's eyes lit up and a smile grew wide and toothy as he realized what was going on.

"I think a day out would be lovely," Annie said, "now I'll start making sandwiches, Hal you get a bag together for Eve and Tom you take out the cooler."

Hal made a face and Tom ran out back to get the large blue cooler they kept out there. Now only Annie, Eve and Hal were left in the house.

"That was nice of you," Hal said, "to go along with all this."

"It was nice of him to think of it," Annie said smiling after the young werewolf, "it was nice of both of you."

Smiles were contagious there was scientific proof. So as Annie turned to smile at Hal who had been staring at her anyway the vampire couldn't help but smile back. The world was on the verge of ending and the Old Ones were coming for them but as Tom rummaged through all the junk out back and Eve sat cooing in her pram, Hal and Annie couldn't help but smile. The world hadn't ended yet and the Old Ones could wait.

"I better go that bag ready," Hal said.

"And I better start on the sandwiches," Annie said going to the kitchen and when she got there a thought occurred to her, "oh my gosh I'm going to need to make a million sandwiches!"

A/N: So here is my offering of fluff for you before the shit storm comes but don't get too scared there is one more chapter of happiness. Hopefully it will hold you over till the end.

As always send me some love or hate or love-hate I like it all.

And can I just say thank you. I can be really sarcastic in these A/Ns but I am actually completely moved by the fact that I have readers. Honestly, writing is one of the only outlets I can afford at this time in my life and to hear your opinions good or bad is such a comfort. To know you care enough to take the time to review or even just to read what I've got to say just gives me the fuzzlies.

So I love you readers ALL, EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of you.

now if that hasn't creeped you out and you're still around

thanks

just thank you so very much.

aloha nui

bri