"Alright, come on... get in there, you... there ya go!"

Stephanie let out a sigh of relief as she finally got her feet inside the red and gold knee-high boots. The actual shoe area fit her foot just fine - and she had more than enough space from her toes to the cap - but the long shaft of the boot was quite a tight fit. While it was comfortable enough for her now, Stephanie couldn't help dreading the difficulty that she was going to have with taking them off later that night.

But burying that thought, the wolf stood up from the bed and strutted over to the mirror, spinning on the spot to get a good look at her costume. After taking a moment to readjust her golden tiara - which had been knocked off-balance by her twirl - she struck a heroic pose and crossed her arms in an X shape across her chest.

The vibrant red corset top accentuated her figure quite well, and along with the golden, W-shaped crest on the neckline, struck a start contrast with her dark grey fur. Her forearms were covered by matching gold bangles, and her short, star-spangled blue skirt flared out about halfway down her thighs.

After getting this costume a few weeks prior, Stephanie had been casually working out in her spare time to put on a little more muscle for the occasion. While her slightly improved physique wasn't quite that apparent in her usual outfits, she'd hoped this more revealing one would a good opportunity to finally show it off.

"Whoa! Ya look great, Mommy!" Porsha's voice took Stephanie off-guard for a moment, prompting her to turn around to see her daughter standing in the doorway. "Just like the real Wonder Woman!"

"Hmm... thanks, sunshine."

Stephanie couldn't help chuckling at the sight of what the seven-year-old was wearing, and the small paper bag full of other accessories she hadn't put on yet. Porsha was clad in a set of leather brown shoes and slightly oversized denim dungarees, though the top half was still draped down around her waist since she hadn't finished buttoning up the long-sleeved green shirt underneath it yet, and the white gloves she was wearing wasn't making that much easier for her.

"Alright, baby, let me do it..." Stephanie got down on one knee so she was closer to Porsha's level, prompting the pup to come closer and let her mother button up the shirt for her. "Gotta look nice and pretty for the party tonight, huh?"

"But you're always pretty, Mommy..." Porsha said, though her tone sounded slightly more concerned than complimentary. "I hope there's enough food for all the grown-ups there, though."

Stephanie chortled. "It's Halloween, Porsha, of course there's gonna be plenty of food there..."

"Well, okay..." Porsha said, still unsure while Stephanie finished fastening the buttons on her shirt, and pulled the straps on her overalls up onto her shoulders. "Cause Barney said on Friday his Daddy thinks ya look like a snack, so I don't want him to get hungry and try and eat you, Mommy."

The young wolf noticed her mother's face beam a vibrant red, almost matching the shade of her outfit, while her eyes bulged wide. But after a moment or two of processing this new information, her cheeks faded to a more mildly embarrassed pink, while she forced a smile back onto her face.

"Well, don't you worry about me, sunshine, I'll manage..." She said, keeping a sweet tone while she ruffled the top of Porsha's head. "But I don't think you and Meena are gonna be hangin' out with that Barney kid anymore."

"Oh... okay, Mommy. Ooh, I almost forgot!" Porsha then reached into her paper bag, fishing out what at first glance seemed to be a small black brush - but Stephanie quickly realised it was actually a fake moustache - and a green newsboy cap with a white L clumsily drawn on the front. "Can ya help me put these on too...?"

"Hmm... yeah, okay..." Stephanie placed the hat on her daughter's head, slightly tilting it left and right to make sure it was straight. She then puckered her lips, prompting Porsha to do the same, and gently attached the moustache right under the younger wolf's nose. "So, uh... why exactly are ya dressed like a plumber, sunshine...?"

"Cause I'm Luigi! See... WA-HOO!" Porsha took on a slightly higher pitch as she made this sound, while also jumping up on the spot and striking a pose in mid-air. "Y'know, like in the video game!"

"Ah, got it..." Stephanie shook her head with an amused smirk. "I thought his name was Mario, though."

"No no no, Mario's the red one... Meena's going as him." Porsha said, rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah, I was thinking of goin' as the Princess first, but I like Luigi better. Plus, if I went as the Princess, I'd probably have to kiss her, so..."

"Well, would that really be so bad...?" Stephanie raised a playful eyebrow, while it was now Porsha's face beaming red. She was rather curious why her daughter had reacted this way, but rather than prod further, Stephanie did the final adjustment's to the younger wolf's outfit, and gentled nuzzled her nose with her own. "Alright, y'all set...?"

"Uh-huh! Ooh, I gotta go get my bucket!" Porsha held onto her hat as she darted out the room and ran back towards her own bedroom.

Stephanie headed back over to her bed to finish getting ready, picking up the long flowing cape - one half coloured red, and the other with blue and white stripes - and draped it over her shoulders to complete the ensemble. As she looked back in the mirror to help herself fasten the clip on the cape, she couldn't help admiring her look in the outfit again, and felt a growing sense of excitement for the night ahead.

The vibrant reddish gradient of the night sky complemented the playfully spooky atmosphere of fully decorated streets as Porsha and Meena made their rounds, along with countless other children of various ages were all embarking on similar ventures. While she had to appreciate the amount of creativity that had gone into the wide variety of costumes she could see, some of the more monstrous looking figures prompted her to grip her pumpkin-shaped bucket a little tighter. Though the eleven-year-old that was walking right alongside them helped her feel at least safe enough to continue without her mother present.

"I still don't get why ya didn't go as Donkey Kong, Johnny..." She said as she looked up at the gorilla, who rolled his eyes playfully. "I mean, your costume's nice and all, it's just... well, you and Meena wearin' the same colours makes me feel kinda weird, y'know..."

"Aw, come on, Porsha! Oops!" Meena quickly latched her trunk around the brush head that she was wearing for a fake moustache, making sure it didn't fall off her face. "I couldn't be Mario if I didn't have Luigi!"

"Yeah, and you two look brill! I'm the only odd one out here, Porsha..." Johnny said, gesturing towards the maskless Spider-Man costume he had on. "Besides, I don't think my Mum wants me dressing up like some big, angry -"

"Ugh!" The three stopped dead in their tracks as they all looked at the ground ahead of them, seeing the animal that had tumbled onto her backside after running right into Johnny's chest.

"Aw, mate, I'm really sorry!" Johnny knelt down to the porcupine's level, while he, Porsha and Meena frantically picked up the candies and other items that she'd dropped while falling. "You didn't hurt yourself, did you...?"

"Oh, uh... n-no, it's okay..." She answered back, lisping a little due to the braces on her teeth, though she seemed happy enough as she straightened her glasses. "Yeah, I was just in a hurry to catch up with - ooh!"

The girl cut herself off when she and Johnny both reached for her bag, their eyes bulging to their widest points as their hands touched and their eyes finally met. Porsha and Meena both remained silent as they stood watching this, though the young wolf in particularly couldn't help feeling rather mesmerised by what she was seeing unfold.

The porcupine looked to be around Johnny's age, though she was only around Meena's height, despite being older than the elephant. While her quills and face were painted in various shades of black and red, matching the Shadow costume she'd scrambled together for herself, her bright blue eyes were magnified by her glasses as she gazed at the handsome young boy in front of her.

"Ashley...? Hey, Ashley!" Another voice suddenly called from across the street, prompting the four of them to look over to the hedgehog that was stood waving, dressed identically in a blue, Sonic-themed version of the porcupine's costume. "Was wondering where you got to! Y'okay...?"

"Oh yeah! I'm coming, Katy!" Ashley quickly grabbed her back out of Johnny's hands and stood back up, letting Meena and Porsha put the rest of her scattered sweets into it. "Sorry about running into you guys!"

"Oh no no, that's all on me... you um... yeah, on your way, then..." Johnny took a step back and extended a hand forward, signalling the porcupine to awkwardly shuffle past him as she ran across the empty street to rejoin her group. "Hmm... right..."

"What was that about...?" Porsha asked, while she and Meena both looked curiously up at the gorilla.

"Eh...?" Johnny's face went slightly red, but he remained casual as she shrugged. "What do you mean, Porsha...?"

"You were lookin' at her funny."

"What?! No I wasn't!"

"Yeah, you were! Wasn't he...?" Porsha looked over to Meena, who nodded. "See! I told ya, Johnny!"

"Well no, I were just... I bumped into her, I was just... just, um..." Johnny itched the back of his neck, then shook his head and cleared his throat. "Right, I think we'd better get a move on. Got more houses to hit, don't we...?"

The young girls accepted his response without further inquiry, their attention redirected to the prospect of gathering more candy. With smiles on their faces, they continued their trick-or-treating journey, the previous encounter soon fading into the background of their lively Halloween adventure.

Rosita and Norman's apartment was lively with music and laughter as the fully-costumed guests mingled around the fully decked living room and kitchen. Stephanie had left her cape draped over the back of the couch as she sat down, stifling a laugh at the sparkly but still very flattering green leotard and blonde wig the hostess was wearing as she sat beside her with two glasses of punch.

"Oh hey, it's Tinker Bell! Yeah, I figured this had to be the work of magic!" Stephanie kept a playful but still impressed tone as she glanced around the room, which was fully decorated with skeleton, jack-o-lantern and cobweb decorations. "But seriously though, Ro, I really love what you've been doin' with the place. It's lookin' great!"

"Hmm... yeah, you sound just like Norman..." Rosita beamed with pride, glancing over with a smile to her boyfriend on the other side of the room, then looked down at her own costume. "And yeah, this is probably a little uh... garish, I guess, but it was either this or dressing up as the ninja lady from Daredevil."

"Oh yeah... was wonderin' what he was supposed to be..." Stephanie took another look at Norman, studying the red, devil-looking mask he was wearing over one of his usual business suits. "Some kinda like demon lawyer or something...?"

"Nah, it's some old superhero... he's like a blind lawyer, who fights crime. It's silly, I know, but it's cute..." Rosita chuckled, shaking her head with a smile. "Oh yeah, and uh... and how's things coming along with the fundraising, Steph...?"

"Uh... y-yeah, it's uh... it's good..." Stephanie's smile faltered a little, but she tried to sound optimistic. "I mean, yeah, the bank's been a little tight with the money lately cause of that whole war thing goin' on Schnitzeldorf, but I'm gettin' there."

"Ah, good..." Rosita wasn't entirely convinced, but she knew better than to prod further. Though before she could change the subject, she jolted up a little at the sound of the doorbell. "Oh, I totally forgot about the kids! I'll just be a sec, Steph."

"Oh no no, you sit yourself down, Rosita. I got it..." Stephanie gave a quick wink, then stood up and approached the door, grabbing the bowl of candies and other treats off the phone table as she opened the door.

"Trick or treat!" The small group of little ones on the other side all chorused in unison, though most of them - particularly the twelve-year-old porcupine that was stood behind the youngsters - went wide-eyed at the side of the tall, stunning but barely dressed wolf that was towering over them.

"Oh ho ho, what a scary little bunch we've got here!" Stephanie chortled playfully while she knelt to their level, unintentionally giving the more curious boys an even better look at her neckline while she held out the bowl. "Alright, kiddos, take your pick!"

As the kids eagerly grabbed their treats, Stephanie took a quick glance back to the party behind her, though she couldn't help but notice a silence had settled over most of the adults, with what seemed to be unhappy expressions on many of their faces as they watched her. But despite her uncertainty at this, she kept her smile as she looked back to the kids, who seemed happy enough as they went on their way. "Happy Halloween, you guys! Oh... hey... y'okay, sweetie?"

The young porcupine snapped out of his briefly smitten trance, still glancing down at the wolf's outfit for another moment or two before one of the younger skunks ran back over and pulled him over. "Come on, Lance! We still got more doors to go to!"

Stephanie shook her head with a chuckle, then stood back up and closed the door before returning to her spot on the couch beside Rosita. The other guests seemed to have gone back to their mingling and partying, though the thought of their disapproving stares was still vividly etched in her mind until the pig gently took hold of her hand and spoke up.

"Y'okay there, Steph...?"

"What? Oh, uh... y-yeah, I'm fine..." Stephanie cleared her throat, speaking a little quieter as she leaned closer to Rosita. "Did I uh... was I doin' something wrong, then? Everybody was kinda lookin' at me funny, so..."

"Oh boy... well, maybe the sexy Wonder Woman costume wasn't the most appropriate thing for those little kids to be looking at..." Rosita chortled playfully, making Stephanie's face beam a bright red when she realised this. "But y'know what, it's fine. I mean, if you don't mind me saying, Steph, you've certainly got the looks for it!"

"Aw, thanks..." Stephanie glanced down at her outfit, regaining her chipper mood despite the mild embarrassment she'd just experienced. "Y'know, back in Redshore, I actually auditioned for it a couple times before I had Porsha. Got pretty close too, I think, but uh... yeah. It was some of the earlier projects, though, not that one they're working on now..."

"Really? Wow!" Rosita stifled a laugh. "Well if you ask me, Stephanie, they're the ones who missed out there, cause... well, look at you, you look incredible! Bet you'd have got it if you'd stuck around."

"Eh, I dunno..." Stephanie cleared her throat and looked away for a moment. "Besides, uh... well, me and Porsha had other reasons for leaving."

Rosita nodded, before glancing upwards towards another of the guests trying to get her attention, then clambered down off the couch. "But seriousuly, Steph, don't worry about any of that. Water under the bridge."

"Uh-huh, yeah..." Stephanie let out a sigh, lounging back a little on the couch while Rosita rejoined the mingling. After another moment or two of hesitation, the wolf quickly grabbed her previously discarded cape off the back cushion and draped it over herself again, pulling it a little tighter to cover her entire upper torso. "Hmm... better safe than sorry..."

Before they knew it, Monday had rolled back around, and Stephanie was walking Porsha down the now all too familiar path to school. Stephanie still found it rather unusual taking her daughter to the other side of the parking lot where the older children entered - even though Porsha had finished kindergarten over a year ago - though she figured this was just a symptom of the bittersweet yet precious experience of getting to see her little one growing up, an experience that she very much remembered was nearly taken away from her only two years prior.

But as they arrived at the parking lot, Stephanie couldn't help finding the near complete silence rather peculiar. It would have been one thing if the area was completely empty, which had happened before a few days when they were either early or late, but all the parents were here as usual, yet they abruptly ceased their conversations and seemed to avert their gazes as the two wolves arrived.

Though knowing better than to risk making a scene, Stephanie simply led Porsha nearer to the front door and knelt to the little one's level, making sure she didn't notice the cold shoulder they both seemed to be getting.

"Alright... books, check... bag, check... sandwiches, double check!" Stephanie chuckled as she slipped Porsha's backpack over the pup's shoulders, then ruffled the top of the seven-year-old's head. "Right... all set, baby...?"

"Uh-huh!" Porsha clambered up and threw her arms around Stephanie's neck, giving her a kiss on the cheek as usual. "Love ya, Mommy..."

"Hmm... I love ya too, sunshine..." Stephanie gave her little pup a kiss on the forehead, then lowered her back down and prodded her forward. "Alright... off ya go..."

Stephanie stood back up as Porsha ran over to greet Meena at the door, and they both went inside. She took a deep breath, then turned back around to look at the other adults, most of whom were averting their eyes again, if they hadn't already disappeared completely while she wasn't looking. Stephanie then bit her bottom lip as she surveyed the few that remained, trying in vain to spot either of Johnny's parents among them, before her eye finally caught sight of the elephant that was walking away.

"Oh, uh... m-morning, Leslie!"

Despite her cheery tone, Stephanie's words almost seemed to echo amongst the silence for a good few seconds, while Meena's mother remained completely frozen on the spot. She noticed the elephant's hands shaking a little, clearly uncertain whether to turn around and face her, but after a moment or two of this, Leslie continued on her way, while the others gradually followed suit.

"God, talk about the silent treatment!"

Stephanie grumbled to herself as she strutted down the street, not even caring if anyone heard her saying this aloud. The wolf was slightly hunched forwards with her hands shoved in her coat pockets, a rather bitter scowl forming on her face while she continued her private rant.

"You wear one sexy costume for Halloween, then they act like they don't even know ya! Well, it ain't my fault I got the goods, so those snowflakes can kiss my... oh, y'gotta be kiddin' me!"

Snapping out of her contemplation, Stephanie rolled her eyes as she noticed a small crowd of animals gathering on the street corner in front of the electrical store, all of them watching and discussing a broadcast playing on the TV screens in the window. With the main road being too packed with speeding cars to risk going around them, she had no choice but to make her way through, stopping herself about halfway when she saw what had grabbed the bystanders' attention.

The loud, irritating ear worm that blared off the speakers would have likely annoyed her even in a good mood, but her already sour feelings only worsened when she recognised the glamorously dressed horse sat on the couch. "Oh, God..."

"Welcome back to the Monday edition of your new favourite gossip show, Hot News! I'm your host, the Queen of Gossip, Linda Le Bon!"

Beneath her cheery, overly-friendly front, Linda Le Bon was one of the most ruthless trend-chasers in the entertainment industry, and she wouldn't stop at anything to make the biggest splash possible, no matter what story she was covering. During Stephanie's time in Redshore, she'd lost count of the times she'd been forced to have interviews with this patronising reporter, who seemed to constantly seek her out at every given opportunity, and the thought of her now having her own show to do even more of that was enough to make the wolf's skin crawl.

Though her annoyance quickly transformed into a horrified shock when the camera finally cut to the tall, white wolf that was sat on the couch opposite.

"And back to our hottest story today, we're joined now by the king of Redshore City himself, Mr. Jimmy Crystal, yay!" Linda cheered as her ravenous audience all applauded, while Jimmy pulled his usual big, friendly smile for his adoring public. "Now Jimmy, honey, it's not exactly a secret that your beautiful wife and your darling little girl have been out of the limelight for the better part of two years. But now, in a shocking new statement, you're accusing your ex-wife of kidnapping!"

This bombshell revelation prompted a dramatic "ooh!" from the audience within the studio, and a few murmurings among the crowd surrounding herself, though Stephanie felt these noises slowly drowning out as her hands trembled, her eyes widened and her mouth hung agape.

"Well, I don't know what else I can tell ya, Linda, but... but I just can't keep it in anymore, y'know...?" Jimmy sniffled a bit as he wiped his eye. "My little Porsha was stolen from her own bed in the dead of night, and taken away to God knows where! We've been trying to find them nonstop for the last two years, and I've barely slept a wink!"

Though Stephanie knew from experience that these were crocodile tears, the audience watching seemed convinced, going off the obnoxious "aww..." sound they all made in unison. But there was no time to be amused by this, with at least a thousand other thoughts swirling through her head as Jimmy continued.

"This was the work of a vindictive, nasty woman called Stephanie Frangipane..." Jimmy was now glaring right into the camera, his piercing gaze and words causing Stephanie to hyperventilate as he seemed to be addressing her directly. "Now I really wanted to settle this all nice and quiet-like, but ya gave me no choice. I don't know where you are, or what lies you've been tellin' there, but we're gonna track ya down, Stephanie. And I'm gonna get back what you took from me..."

"Oh God... no..." Stephanie turned on her heels and shoved her way out of the crowd again, breaking out into a desperate but determined sprint as she raced back down the street towards the school. "No no no no no!"