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The Bassets and Sharma-Bridgertons
“You don’t have plans?”
Fran looked up from her phone at Daphne, who was holding Bel in a bee costume. Daphne was a flower.
Fran wore all black out of a desire not to dress up.
“It’s Wednesday.”
“It’s Halloween.”
“Fran doesn’t go out,” Hy said while walking past the living room. Fran rolled her eyes.
Daphne adjusted Bel on her hip. “Are you sure you want to come? It’ll be boring.”
“Neddy asked.”
Neddy begged Fran when she came by for dinner. She had found it weird that Kate asked her to come, but Neddy’s costume made it make sense.
Kate joined them with Miles, who was also a bee, while Kate was also a flower.
Fran frowned. “You guys realize that Anthony is going to shit a brick?”
“That’s the plan,” Kate said with a smirk.
The front door opened, and Simon stepped in with Augie wearing beekeeping costumes. Behind him was a woman dressed as Leatherface.
That was not an appropriate costume for kids.
“Oh, Michaela, you made it.” Daphne smiled. Fran saw a matchmaking glint in her eye and scanned for an out.
Michaela nodded and took her mask off. “Yep. I got a begging voice note.”
Fran looked at her face and stopped looking for an out.
“My sister, Fran. The other childless member of our party.”
“Victim, you mean?” Michaela smirked.
Anthony finally joined them with Neddy dressed as Mozart. He kept giving the bee babies freaked-out looks.
“Aunt Fran!” Neddy beamed.
Fran grinned. “Neddy, you look great.”
Fran ended up in the back of the group with Michaela. Michaela had her leather face mask in hand since Bel decided it scared her ten minutes ago.
Miles’ entire bee costume was off because Anthony decided it freaked him out 20 minutes ago.
Simon was using his beekeeping net to herd Augie and Neddy away from the street.
It was a mess. But Fran didn’t mind since Michaela was good company.
“How do you know my sister?” Fran asked.
“Work. I’m a photographer.” Michaela smiled. “She mentioned you a few times.”
“Oh no.” Fran felt her face heat up. “She talked me up.”
“Yes, but I’m not disappointed.”
Fran smiled. “That’s good.”
“She said you’re a concert pianist. Explains your nephew’s costume.”
“He came up with it by himself, allegedly.”
Michaela smiled. “That’s sweet.”
“Any nieces or nephews?”
“No. I’m an only child, but my cousin is also single, so we’re both disappointing our mothers.”
Fran laughed. “So why are you out here?”
“Free candy.”
Fran kneeled next to Neddy for their photo. Kate handed her phone to Michaela.
“Daphne said you’re a photographer.”
Michaela laughed. “Alright.”
She snapped several pictures, then allowed Kate to sign off before Fran got a look.
“We look good,” Fran said. “I’d hire you.”
Michaela snorted. “Thanks.”
“You two should go to dinner since it’s so early,” Daphne said, her eyes on Augie holding his sister for a picture.
“Oh, yeah. That cute little bistro a few streets over.” Kate added.
Fran looked at Michaela.
“I’m game if you are?” Michaela said.
Fran nodded. She was game.
The Baek-Bridgertons and Featherington-Bridgertons
Fran looked over to her girlfriend to see her nodding along as Alex rambled at her. She adjusted his wig on his head while he kept talking. Fran felt a pull on her hand.
She looked down to see Violet in her Tudor dress, with more fake blood on the collar and around her neck. “I’m ready.”
Fran nodded. “I know. We’re going. Just waiting on Uncle Colin and Aunt Pen.”
Violet huffed.
Fran smirked as Ben walked by with Charlie, dressed as a tube of paint, in his arms. He was dressed strangely. “What are you?”
“Michelangelo.”
Fran frowned…not the turtle. “The painter?”
Ben nodded. “He was alive when Anne Boleyn died.”
“So we’re matching but not,” Violet said.
Fran couldn’t argue with that logic. “I love it.”
“Why aren’t you and Aunt Kayla matching?”
“I don’t dress up.”
“You do now,” Colin said, dressed as a..something, sliding a pair of cat ears on her head. “Michaela? You need ears?”
Michaela shook her head, holding up her Jigsaw mask. “I’m good.”
Colin frowned. “That might be too much for the kids.”
“Violet picked.”
“I love it, Uncle Colin,” Violet whispered. “Aunt Kayla looks so scary.”
Fran frowned. “What are you, Colin?”
“A beehive.”
“Why?”
Pen stepped in with Jane, dressed as a bee. Pen was dressed as a beekeeper. “Because Jane is a bee.”
Thomas ran in dressed as a piece of candy.
“Thomas didn’t get the memo?” Michaela asked.
Pen shook her head.
Sophie walked into the living room. “Wow, we’ve just decided to traumatize Anthony every year, huh?”
“Pretty much,” Ben said.
“Yep,” Colin added.
They made their way down the street, Ben and Violet having to explain their costume to every house they stopped at. Jane yanked off her wings by the third house, and Thomas’s shoes kept getting untied.
He then asked to wear Michaela’s mask, and she let him.
“Can he see?” Fran whispered.
“Probably not,” Michaela added.
Pen pulled the mask off his head before he ran into Colin…again.
Sophie took off her brush head and moved over with them. “One of you beg to go home.”
Michaela laughed. “Over it?”
“Yes.”
“We’re almost to Anthony’s,” Fran whispered.
“Thank God.”
Kate opened the door with a beaming smile. “Well…if it isn’t Anne Boleyn and Michelangelo and…”
“I’m Raphael!” Alex yelled. Kate nodded like she knew who that was.
“Also a painter,” Ben answered.
“Wow! Are you guys staying long?”
“Yes.” Sophie pushed her way inside as Colin, Pen, and their kids finally caught up.
Kate took one look at Jane and started cackling.
“What’s so funny?” Anthony asked. He stood in the doorway and looked at the Baek-Bridgerton children before the Featherington-Bridgerton children.
Fran caught the exact moment he realized what Jane was. “Ha Ha.”
“It’s spooky season, Ant,” Colin said.
Anthony sighed. “Hello all, lovely costumes.”
“Uncle Anthony, what are you?” Violet asked.
“The scariest thing of all,” Ben said.
“A know-it-all?” Colin asked.
“Part of the 1%?” Sophie called from inside.
“I was going to say a landlord.” Michaela piped up. Fran elbowed her.
“A big brother,” Ben answered.
“Candy only for the children then,” Anthony said.
“Oh come on!” Colin cried.
“Charlie doesn’t even have teeth,” Michaela added.
Fran felt a tap on her arm. She looked at Kate, who gave her some candy with a wink.
They finished the street before doubling back to get a relaxed Sophie and a sleeping Charlie from Kate and Anthony’s house.
Thomas was slung over Colin’s shoulder, giggling at Alex, who was slung over Fran’s.
“Thanks for coming out,” Ben said.
“Thanks for inviting us,” Fran whispered.
“I know it’s not your idea of a fun night.”
Fran watched Michaela hold Violet as they talked on the walk back. Michaela was mainly nodding as Violet rambled and they shared candy from her bucket.”We got candy and family time out of it. Not a bad thing.”
Colin butt in. “What are we talking about?”
“That you’re the scariest thing I’ve seen all night,” Ben answered.
Colin scowled while Fran burst out laughing.
The Stirlings (Scotland edition)
“Boo!”
Fran opened her eyes and screamed before she realized that she was not in a new version of Scream but looking at JJ, who was giggling while leaning against Fran’s laughing fiancée.
“Very funny,” Fran muttered as she pushed herself up and tried to calm her heart down.
Michaela pulled the mask off JJ’s head and whispered in his ear.
“Sorry, Aunt Fran.” JJ hugged her tightly. Fran cradled him back. He was very sweet, but easily influenced by Michaela. Just like his father.
“I know it wasn’t your idea.” She playfully glared at Michaela. She received an angelic look back.
“Who me?”
“Well, I wouldn’t scare myself.”
Michaela leaned over to kiss her, getting an eww in response. “JJ, this isn’t about you.”
“Aunt Kayla,” JJ whined.
“I get it. Come here, let me kiss that face.”
“Noooo.” JJ giggled as Michaela peppered him with kisses.
Fran smiled.
“Just until the bucket is filled,” John ordered, wearing a t-shirt that said This is my Halloween Costume. Michaela wore a black henley with the Scream mask in her hands. Fran wore all black and her standard black cat ears.
JJ wore a white sheet, twirling around them, making ghostly noises.
“That’s a small bucket,” Michaela replied.
“Yes. Well.” John watched his son run around. “JJ doesn’t need the help.”
“One bucket.” Fran agreed.
“If some of the candy gets eaten along the way…” Michaela shrugged, giving JJ a high-five. Fran shook her head.
John didn’t react. “Thanks for taking him.”
“No problem,” Fran said. “It’s fun.”
Fran watched JJ and Michaela walk elaborately in step with each other as they went around John’s neighborhood. JJ was in his simple ghost costume in a sea of store-bought superheroes and elaborate witches and werewolves.
“Why did you decide to be a ghost?” Fran asked him. He looked up, brown eyes happy from the holes in the sheet.
“Because Casper is Baba’s favorite.”
“Really?” Fran asked Michaela.
“Yes. The dweebiest Halloween movie ever.”
“What’s dweeby mean?”
“Dorky.”
JJ nodded. “Can I call Baba dweeby?”
“No. Only I can.”
JJ nodded again. “Can I call you dweeby?”
“Am I dweeby?”
JJ looked her over. “You’re cooler than Baba.”
“Well, that’s not hard, but no.”
JJ looked at her. “Can Aunt Fran?”
“Sure.”
“Aunt Fran?”
Fran smirked. “Aunt Kayla is very dweeby. I agree.”
“Hey.”
Fran ignored her, allowing JJ to take her hand up to the next house.
JJ’s bucket was very full, and Michaela’s jacket pockets were also full of candy when they returned to the Stiling home. They were met with Helen and Janet in the kitchen, who smiled at Michaela holding JJ in her arms. His ghost sheet was off and in Fran’s arms.
“Did you three have fun?”
JJ nodded. “Aunt Kayla is dweeby!”
Helen laughed. “She is.”
“Mama,” Michaela grumbled.
“You should stop teaching him words,” Helen replied.
Janet took her grandson and kissed his cheek. “It’s time for someone to go to bed.”
JJ didn’t argue, just yawned and waved goodnight as they went upstairs.
Fran set the bucket of candy on the counter while Michaela emptied her pockets.
“I got you a Twix, Mama.”
“Oh, thank you.” Helen took the candy and smiled before kissing Michaela’s cheek and Fran’s. “Good Night, girls.”
“Good Night,” they said. They waited until Helen left the kitchen before they started pulling out the candy they wanted.
“Leave him some M&Ms,” Fran hissed.
“Fine.” Michaela put some back. “I pulled out all the Almond Joys.”
Fran swooned. “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
Fran kissed her fiancée. “Want to watch a movie?”
“Scary?”
Fran stared at her.
Michaela laughed.
The Cranes
Eloise bounced the baby in her arms while staring at them. Baby Penelope was dressed in the family bee costume, chewing on her fist. “Thank you for coming with us. Phillip tried to get a new flight, but the storm was terrible.”
Fran shrugged. “No biggie. We were going to watch Jennifer Love Hewitt try not to get murdered. We can do that tomorrow.”
“Still. The drive. Amanda’s…costume.”
Fran shuddered as their Prom Queen Carrie!Amanda came by. She had poured more fake blood on herself. “Do I look gross?”
Fran and Eloise nodded.
“Awesome.” Amanda skipped out of the living room.
“What is Oliver again?”
Eloise shrugged. “I have no clue. Last week, he was going to be Sherlock Holmes. The week before, a Ninja Turtle.”
Fran snorted. “Lovely.”
The doorbell rang, and the twin shouts of I’ll get it made Eloise hustle to the door.
The twins were opening it to Michaela, dressed as Jason, her hockey mask already on her face.
“Aunt Kayla, you don’t have a knife,” Amanda said.
Michaela showed her hand from behind her back to show the machete. Amanda nodded in approval.
Fran looked at Oliver. He was dressed as an old man. They seemed to be on two different ends of the spectrum for costumes, but Fran wasn’t going to argue with the Crane children.
“Let’s go,” Eloise ordered, and they all started on their journey.
Fran held Penny as Eloise walked up to the houses with Oliver and Amanda. Several adults looked a little green around the gills at Amanda, then were confused by Oliver.
Fran looked at her wife. “So are you just going to stand there and be creepy all evening?”
Michaela nodded.
Penny reached for Michaela, who calmly took her. The creep factor was severely dampened when Eloise’s youngest reached for the rubber machete to chew on.
“Aunt Fran,” Oliver whispered.
Fran looked down at him. His fake beard was half off at this point, and his face was smeared with chocolate. “Yes.”
“Aunt Kayla is creeping me out.”
She was creeping Fran out a little as well. She hadn’t said a word. Only Amanda was loving it and decided to say that Jason was there to make sure no one messed with Carrie again.
Eloise had walked home while Fran and Michaela finished up the trick - or - treating duty.
“Michaela? You’re scaring Oliver.” Fran said.
Michaela stopped and pushed the mask up. “Oh, sorry, Oliver.”
Oliver sighed. “I just needed to see your face.”
Michaela laughed. “No worries, kiddo. Let’s hit this last house.” She held out her free hand, and Oliver ran to catch up.
Fran shook her head.
The twins ran right up to Penny and Eloise, showing them the candy they got while Fran and Michaela hung up their coats.
“I already pocketed our fee.” Michaela held open her coat, and Fran looked at the bulge in the inside pocket.
“Funny you should say that.” Fran showed her inside pocket.
“Are you guys staying for dinner?” Eloise asked. Fran looked at her sister’s pleading face before the twins’ pouting ones.
“Sure,” Michaela said.
Fran kissed her cheek in thanks.
The Stirlings (UK edition)
Fran was wearing a costume. After all these years, Michaela got her in a costume.
A costume that somehow did not scare Lu. Their daughter had her other mother’s love of slasher films, it seemed.
Fran joined Lu and Michaela by the door in their pajama costumes. Michaela even had a nightcap on, like she was going to get haunted by three spirits that night.
“Ready?” Michaela asked.
Fran nodded before adjusting her sweater.
Lu was not excited about actually asking for candy. She just wanted the candy. She dug her hand in Mum’s candy bowl while Mum laughed.
“Sorry, Violet. “ Michaela smirked.
“Francesca never said Trick or Treat either. Eloise would do it for her.” Violet said. “I’m shocked you dressed up.”
Fran shrugged. “Michaela offered to hold her the whole night, so a fair trade.”
“You act like she doesn’t weigh 20 pounds.”
Fran pointed to Michaela’s chest, which had a smear of chocolate on it.
Michaela grimaced.
“Trick or treat.” They said in unison.
Kate held Mary to her leg while she laughed. Fran could imagine what she got. A chocolate-stained Rip Van Winkle with a grumpy Baby Rip and an annoyed Freddy Kruger.
“Hi, Lu.”
Lu gave her aunt a wave before holding her hand out.
Kate put the Twix in her hand. Lu held it out.
“Mama. “
“Nope. Tomorrow.”Michaela said, putting the candy in the bucket.
Fran held out her arms and finally held her baby. Lu whimpered into her shoulder.
“Mama won’t eat it. I promise.” Fran whispered. Lu nodded and yawned.
“Are we your last house?” Kate asked.
Fran looked down at Michaela, who was taking a selfie with Mary.
“Yep,” Michaela answered.
“Well, thanks for coming by. Say bye, Mary.”
Fran waved as they left.
Fran joined Michaela in their kitchen, sorting Lu’s candy.
“Do not.”
“I’m taking our fee. She won’t know.”
Fran stared at her wife.
Michaela grimaced. “She is your child. She will know.”
Michaela put the candy back in the bucket. She pouted.
Fran opened the pantry and moved her oatmeal and chia seeds. She held up the candy she bought for them.
Michaela grinned. “You are the best thing that has happened to me.”
Fran laughed. “Well, I’m also willing to watch the worst Nightmare too.”
Michaela cheered. “It won’t scare you. The blood looks terrible.”
Fran let Michaela drag her to the living room.