For notes and disclaimer, please see part one.

Here's a couple things you might need to know or maybe you just forgot: The inevitable finally happens. Ellie and Casey act on their feelings for each other.

Scaredy Cat

It was one of her favorite holidays. She wanted some sense of normalcy after her life had turned upside down since kissing a man who wasn't her husband, since her husband left. It gave her something to focus on, something to look forward to. It gave her a purpose, even if it was just to string purple and orange lights across the courtyard on Friday night. She couldn't dwell on the past, on what had happened. All she could do was move forward.

Which was why her annual Halloween Monster Mash Bash was back on the schedule.

She stood back to admire her work when she heard her cat, Downy, hiss at something. Looking over, she saw the calico with her back arched, her ears back, and her fangs barred. The calico had found the unusually-sized rodent beneath the extensive foliage in one of the planters.

"Downy," Ellie chided. "Nothing to be afraid of."

The cat, however, wasn't so sure as she reached out with a paw to smack the offending critter. The motion made the rat's eyes light up an unnatural crimson. More than that, an unearthly scream howled from the hidden speaker.

Casey was looking forward to calling it a night, to enjoying a little peace and quiet after a long week. There had been pranks galore at the Buy More, given teenagers' penchants for tricks once they grew too big to collect treats. He'd had to scrape gum off the underside of the chest freezer door, mop up a nasty, sticky soda explosion in the men's room (seriously, how did cola get on the ceiling?), and then there had been the candy apple disaster...

If he ever saw one of those again, it would be entirely too soon.

He readjusted his black backpack on his shoulder, trying not to grunt at the fact he was still wearing that infernal green polo shirt.

And then he heard it.

The shriek.

He sped into the courtyard just as Downy was coming out. "Downy?" He felt his blood run cold. "Ellie!"

Except, she was fine, lost amid a sea of fake spiderwebs and plastic skeletal remains. She smiled, blushing a little, when she realized he'd been worried. "Hey."

"Hey..."

"You want to give me a hand?" she asked, pointing toward the second story balcony, where she couldn't quite reach on her stepladder.

He smirked somewhat. "On one condition."

"What's that?" she asked.

"You have to tell me how you can be deathly afraid of scary movies and yet love Halloween."

Ellie smiled, climbing back down to stand on the ground, watching as Casey took her place. "When we were kids," she began, "Mom was like... supermom. Homemade costumes, caramel corn, candied apples... Halloween was part of the whole day, from pancakes with 'bloody' strawberry syrup to jack-o-lantern cheeseburgers... Y'know, with the faces cut out of the cheese slice? It was an event, not just a day. It was when both of my parents acted like children. It was memorable and fun. And, after she left, I tried to continue that tradition. Hence..." She gestured around the courtyard.

He nodded, reaching his long arms to stretch the spiderwebs in as artistic a fashion as he could.

"But, scary movies are not fun. They may be memorable, but they're designed to scare you. And, life's scary enough. There's no need to add to it, particularly in gruesome, grotesque, over the top ways."

"Makes sense," he acknowledged.

She smiled. "So, you are coming to the bash, aren't you? Sunday night. Starts promptly at 7:13."

"I'm surprised it's not at 13:13."

"One PM's a little on the early side to get your spook on, don't you think?"

He shrugged.

"And, you better be in costume." She spoke quickly, cutting off the grumble that rumbled from his chest. "It's required. And don't think you can get away with being a soldier or something..."

"That seems a little unfair," he said, glancing back at her. "I'm in costume everyday." Case in point, he was still wearing his Buy More duds.

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest as he descended. "Anyone can be a Buy More worker or... or a tuxedo-wearing James Bond or a fatigue-wearing Marine. Halloween is about the impossible and the improbable. Be a classic Universal Pictures movie monster... or... or a superhero from Krypton. Even Death itself with a big scythe. Please?"

He never could refuse her. The puffball of fur at his feet eying its fake nemesis was further proof. The tacked on plea hadn't been necessary. Really, she'd had him at required. "I will be appropriately in-character," he promised.

She grinned widely.

Stay tuned...