>> ” So good to finally meet you, Ma’am.”

"Likewise" Gemma smiled at the boy, he looked far more guilty than Faye was, so whaever they were hiding, it was on him. Gemma made no mistake though; she knew exactly who the idea must have come from. twisted brownie points to the girl for not blaming it on him. Oh, young love.

>>”Yeah the carnivals pretty cool, we were thinking of checking out the zoo soon weren’t we Lance.”

Jorge seemed to catch the meaning of the whole little scene, and did his best to scare the kids into behaving themselves, and getting rid of the booze. Gemma agreed, it was a good plan. No use runing the night whn you can just scare the teens into switching from beer to apple juice.

"He's a Jedi, not a hermit." she muttered with a smirk.

>>”Uh... looks like we’re holding up the line.”

"Yes." Mama T nodded cheerfully and turned around, pulling Jorge with her "Well, we are going to go get some food. You kids have fun, and I'll see you around."

I'll see everything you do

"Now, shoo."

Someone bumpd into Jorge. Gemma turned around to look, and smiled. "Hey there, Kate. Enjoying Halloween?"

>> "He's a Jedi, not a hermit."

“A what?” Jorge asked sincerely.

Though he grew up in the era of said movies, the truth was that Jorge found little interesting in them. That was probably why he did not immediately understand the kid’s costume. But now that he thought about it, there was a new wave in interesting in the past decade or so with the creation of new movies for the series. Jorge himself didn’t understand them, nor did he really want to try. Instead he just let it go.

>> "Now, shoo."

He was pulled away again, but as he did, he smiled at the two teens, knowingly. He did not feel like being the hard as nails cop tonight. Though he was volunteering to be here, he wanted to still have at least a little bit of fun without having to ruin two teenagers nights. Besides they did not seem too bad, they just got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. It happens. He just hoped that they had learned their lesson, after all he would hate to run into them again and find they did not heed his advice the first time.

He smirked as he watched them, especially the "Jedi" with the wet sleeve. "You take care now. Keep an eye open for any alcohol drinking teens. I will." he waved goodbye to them, in a very friendly manner and turned his attention back to Gemma.

When he saw that his message got through to both teens, he suddenly felt a thump against his back. He turned around to see what the disturbance was and noticed that there was a young woman, dressed in another type of costume he really did not understand. Almost reminded him of a type of “Alicia in Wonderland” character but he did not stray on the thought for long. Instead he simply smiled as he tilted his head a bit. He wondered how it was so easy to bump into him, especially since he was not that hard to see.

>> "Sorry I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

“No harm done,” he said with a smile as he glanced down at her. “Are you alright?” The police officer in him coming through again. He could see in the girls eyes that she looked lost and that immediately put him into protect mode. But he calmed once he heard Gemma address the young girl with familiarity.

>> "Hey there, Kate. Enjoying Halloween?"

“Ah, you must be from the mansion,” he said with a warm smile. He offered his hand to hers to shake. “Nice to meet you, I’m Jorge.”

He had to smirk as he glanced back to Gemma. It was like she was a magnet for these kids…whether they wanted her to be or not.

"Oh Finally!!!! Someone I know!!!" Kate looked at Mama T and would have hugged her if Kate had been that kind of person.

Ah, you must be from the mansion. Nice to meet you, I’m Jorge.

Kate shook his hand still slightly distraught, "KatherineElizabethStandlyFinch-Hatton." She said it all in one breath and as one rather long word. She was still looking around to try and find her lost 'date'. "I was here with someone but I turned for a second and lost him."

So the detective was giving them a way out? Just throw the beer away? It couldn’t be that simple could it?

And if he was the good cop did that make Mama T the bad cop?
Faye caught Lances look and shrugged slightly

>>>”Uh... looks like we’re holding up the line.”

She could have kissed him (again) What a guy, That was quick thinking she thought. We work well together
She let out a sigh of relief as Mama T agreed and turned away with her police escort, she hadn’t like the fact that Mama would “see them around” though.
Faye smiled and jabbed Lance on his free arm, winking and wiggling her eyebrows in a silent expression of victory.
Of course there would be consequences later but for tonight they had won; well they still had the beer.

Time to get this date back on track, First thing then needed to do was a quick detour in the general directions of the bins , she had no intention of launching the beer just head that way in case Detective Cervantes was still watching.

She reached out and took Lances hand, squeezing it slightly and indicating to him it was time to find a different food stall.

They got all of five meters before Faye head another commotion behind her. Turning so she could enjoy someone else’s misfortune for a change she was surprised to see bread girl ...wait no, that’s not her name? Kate? Maybe? No that sounds right... apologising to the detective about running into him.

Kate! she called to get her attention, Lost bread boy?

” He's a Jedi, not a hermit.”

Finally! Someone got the costume right. Lance flashed Mama T a thankful smile, albeit a thin one.

"Yes." Mama T nodded cheerfully and turned around, pulling Jorge with her "Well, we are going to go get some food. You kids have fun, and I'll see you around. Now, shoo."

”You take care now. Keep an eye open for any alcohol drinking teens. I will.”

As the two adults turned from them to move up the line, Lance was finally able to sigh in relief. That was close...

A slight nudge on his left arm, which Lance nearly missed due to the costume, drew his attention to Faye. He caught her series of facial expressions. He wasn’t sure what they meant, but if it has something to do with their sudden change of luck... well, they’re not completely out of the waters yet.

Faye suddenly reached out and took hold of his free hand. Cold beer on the left hand while Faye was holding his right hand. The move was supportive and reassuring, sending the silent message that they were in this together... or so he hoped.

The squeeze from Faye could have meant a great number of things. But in their present situation, it only meant one thing... time to make our exit.

While Mama T and Detective Cervantes still had their backs turned, the two teens made for the general direction of the trash bin that was earlier suggested by the cop as a good place to dump the beer bottles, although he had considered getting rid of the bottles elsewhere.

They had nearly reached the half-way mark to the bins when a commotion from their backs drew his attention back to the food line.

A girl, about his age, had bumped into Detective Cervantes. The two adults stopped and looked at the newcomer. Mama T greeted her in a familial manner, as though she knew the girl... and maybe she did. Whatever they were talking about was hard to make-out over the noise around them.

”Kate! Lost bread boy?”

Faye’s sudden exclamation drew a cursory glance from Lance. So her name is Kate. But who is Bread Boy? Lance wondered as he had never encountered another male mansion resident that fitted the description of “bread boy”.

The bottles clinked bringing the teen back to their present dilemma.

”Let’s go while they’re distracted.” Lance whispered to Faye with some urgency. The opportune distraction should not be allowed to go to waste.

>>"Oh Finally!!!! Someone I know!!! I was here with someone but I turned for a second and lost him."

"Good to see you here, Kate" Mama T smiled at the girl "I'm sorry to hear that. Is he from the Mansion? I'm sure he'll show up sooner or later."

She was glad Kate decided to come to the carnival. The first weeks were always difficult for the new students, especially if they came from far away. After they made friends and got used to the new place, they usually relaxed a bit.
Kate still looked a bit lost. Fortunately, Faye was already calling out to her.

"Looks like you are not alone after all" Mama T smiled, nodding towards Faye and Lance. Right, they just got busted for drinking alcohol, but they were good kids at heart, and se was sure Kate would have more fun with people her age than with her and Jorge.

"Looks like everyone decided to come" she chuckled.

>> "KatherineElizabethStandlyFinch-Hatton."

“It’s…very nice to meet you uh…Kathinliza…Young Lady!” he smiled warmly.

Jorge almost wanted to jump back after that long title that the young girl had given him, instead he merely smirked and shook her hand. That was a lot of names for one young lady but he did not mock it, instead he only smiled. It was indeed nice to meet her, and though she apparently seemed lost, Gemma was the one to step in. He had to admit that those kids must indeed be lucky to have a woman like her around to help them, whether they wanted the help or not.

He shot another glance to the “jebb-eye” and the cavegirl teens and kept an eye on them to make sure that whatever alcohol he smelled they would get rid of.

>> "Looks like everyone decided to come"

“Apparently,” Jorge said with a smirk as he moved up in the concession line a bit and glanced about. “The Addams’ really know how to throw a hell of a party. They really spared no expense for this thing. Which is odd.”

Jorge thought to himself as he glanced around and saw the revelry going about them. Everyone did seem to be having a great time, in some cases some were having a bit too much fun (drinking teens for example), but most of all it seemed to be going well. He could not comprehend the amount of people who were probably here and just the idea that from each of them money would donated to the Children’s Hospital meant that they would be getting a sizeable donation. Still…when he heard about it he simply shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s just odd, if you ask me,” Jorge said as he turned his attention back to Gemma. “Rumors around the precinct say that Addams had…physically abused his daughter. She had to be sent to the children’s hospital once when she showed up at her prep school with some suspicious marks and bruises but nothing ever came of the rumors. Seems like it was not long after that that Mr. Addams decided to put this thing together.”

Jorge sighed as he scratched his chin through the bushy fake white beard. It looked quite comical but he didn’t care. Sometimes it was hard to turn off the detective in him but one look at Gemma and he quelled his thoughts. He would not let work get in the way tonight. He did want to have fun and he would make sure he could, even though he was technically there as a volunteer security guard.

“Sorry,” he said with a small smile. “I tend to go off on a thought without saying goodbye.” he chuckled.

>>>”Let’s go while they’re distracted.” Lance whispered into her ear.
Faye bit her bottom lip and blushed at how close he was.
“Y-yeah” she stammered turning her head to look at him, damn he was close your right, time to get back to our date”

With a final glance back at Kate, don’t worry she’ll catch you two up, Faye let Lance lead her away from guidance councillors and undercover cops and towards the bins.

Smart move, make to act like we are getting rid of the beer . She smiled as Lance produced the beer and held them over the bin, wait was he going to actually tip ‘em?

Wait! You’re not actually going to get rid of them are you? she asked confused by his actions after all we just went through?

”Wait! You’re not actually going to get rid of them are you? After all we just went through?”

Lance tilted his head towards Faye, his brows coming just a bit closer together. He was confused... they were nearly busted by their school’s Guidance Counselor and her cop date for underage drinking and his own date still wants to do that which they have been explicitly told NOT to do.

”Actually, it is all the more reason for us to get rid of these.” Lance answered, throwing a glance at the bottles half-hidden by his sleeve. ”We were lucky, they went easy on us. Although I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of this from Mama T.”

"Exactly! We already going to be punished for this so at least lets do the crime if Mama T is going to make us do the time."

Faye pouted and rubbed on her forehead, she was beginning to get a headache and not from the noise of the carnival. She opened her bag and lit a cigarette taking a couple of deep drags before asking him

"You do want to have fun tonight don’t you? You did ask me out because you wanted to have a good time and not to wander around a park in f%#king winter right? Do you have any idea how cold I am in this? " she gestured at her costume "I came because I wanted to hang out with you and have some fun, part of that fun is doing things you’re not meant to like drinking or... " waving her cigarette around "...smoking."

She closed her eyes for a second and shook her head softly.

"Listen I like you, and I think you like me too" she opened her eyes and looked up at his face "Your not like other guys don’t say it, c’mon its lame chided her head you like me because I’m me, not because of this" waving her cigarette hand over herself "At least that’s what I thought when you asked me out.
Listen if you want to tip the beer do it. I don’t care about that anymore"

Good going, what did we say about feelings? That you push them down till you don’t feel them anymore because things like this happen.
See awkward silence.
You should have made friends with those preppy kids then none of this would have happened but no. You had to be clever and ‘mature’ and try to be friends with people that you liked rather than people you fitted in with. That’s not who you are. Face it.

”Exactly! We already going to be punished for this so at least lets do the crime if Mama T is going to make us do the time.”

The confusion was over and done with. Faye did want to finish the alcohol. Admittedly, her reply was... logical.

His brows came closer.

Faye threw a pout and rubbed her forehead.

She lit a cigarette and took several long puffs.

”You do want to have fun tonight don’t you? You did ask me out because you wanted to have a good time and not to wander around a park in f%#king winter right? Do you have any idea how cold I am in this? I came because I wanted to hang out with you and have some fun, part of that fun is doing things you’re not meant to like drinking or smoking.”

Lance had not anticipated Faye’s tirade. One thing he learned from his past, was not to meet anger head on... 'coz Faye was clearly angry... or irritated, but it amounted to the same thing. He had enough control of his emotions to keep the retort that was building up from escaping his lips.

”Listen I like you, and I think you like me too. Your not like other guys you like me because I’m me, not because of this... At least that’s what I thought when you asked me out. Listen if you want to tip the beer do it. I don’t care about that anymore.”

Lance was stunned! Did she just say that she liked me? the teen mentally asked himself, not entirely believing what he had just heard. His felt his heart skip a beat as the words sank in. Ok... breathe... slowly...

Uh-oh... She’s pulling your leg, kid... the inner voice warned. You actually believe she was telling you the truth? She’s telling you she likes you because she doesn’t want you to get rid of the bottles... And her last line... yeah, that was the biggest lie in that entire statement. ‘Listen if you want to tip the beer do it. I don’t care about that anymore.’ the voice repeated Faye’s last words, dripping with sarcasm. Think before you act! Don’t fall for it.

But Lance had already decided on a course of action. He did not want to disappoint Faye on their first date, but at the same time he did not want to get busted for underage drinking. For him it was not an issue, he was worried more for Faye. The thought of her spending the night in a detention cell was unacceptable.

It took a few seconds before Lance was able to pull his mind from the daze it had found itself in, for him to answer Faye’s litany.

His expression changed from curious to serious.

He glanced at the half-exposed bottles then at Faye.

Lance took a deep breath before he spoke. ”I do... I do like you for who you are. The whole package... The entirety of you...” Lance started, a sincere smile creeping across his lips. His right hand gave a squeeze of reassurance to the soft hand he still held in it.

”It’s strange for me to be standing here now, telling you these...” he admitted. ”I usually have trouble connecting with others... But with you, it was almost effortless... I find it strange... But it’s wonderfully strange.”

Lance paused for a few seconds, carefully considering the words he was about to say.

”I know you still want to finish these...” He glanced at the bottles he held, his tone low and full of understanding. He took another deep breath.

”Very well.” Lance finally said, his expression returning to being serious. ”Let’s finish this. But under my terms...”

Faye exhaled and watched Lance’s expression change from surprised to confused. She’d gone too far, the voices were right she shouldn’t have said anything, told ya , Why oh why had she opened her trap! It had all been so simple before she started talking, I mean why did you say that girl? Why? What good is going to come out of it?
She watched him take a deep breath, ok here it comes. Don’t get upset. Be calm.

>>>”I do... I do like you for who you are. The whole package... The entirety of you...”
She felt him squeeze her hand.

What did he just say? He likes me? He likes me! *cue music and Disney songbirds”

>>>”It’s strange for me to be standing here now, telling you these...I usually have trouble connecting with others... But with you, it was almost effortless... I find it strange... But it’s wonderfully strange.”

Really? Trouble connecting? She thought back on when they first met and the way he had let Amber take the lead after she had gotten there. Ok yeah Faye could see that.

sorry to interrupt you trilling but you did hear the same thing as me? ‘Wonderfully strange? That boy Lo..

Faye mentally sucker punched her inner voice.
Shut up! We don’t talk about that word in my head unless it’s about chocolate or nicotine.
Mmmm Nicotine my smokey mistress. Faye took the last drag on her cigarette and flicked the butt, watching it trail sparks before landing in the bin.

>>>”I know you still want to finish these... Very well. Let’s finish this. But under my terms...”

“Yes Sir!” She grinned, clicking her heels together and saluting bringing her club into contact with the side of her head. “ow” nice move blondie “I’m ok” she said smiling to show she was fine. “lets go enjoy the rest of our night”

”Yes Sir!”

Faye’s response elicited a grin and a slight chuckle from Lance. The attempt at a salute, however, was met by an accident as the club made contact with his date’s forehead.

”ow”

Lance nearly dropped the bottles he was holding. Thankfully, his date was quick to reassure him that she was just fine.

”lets go enjoy the rest of our night.”

And indeed they shall. But first things first... They had to get rid of the bottles.

Scanning the assortment of food stalls in their area, Lance finally spotted what he was looking for... a refreshment stand offering drinks in varied sized plastic cups.

”Wait here.” he instructed Faye. His voice just enough for her to hear him.

Lance wove through the crowd towards his target. The entire business of procuring drinks and going back to Faye took no more than a few minutes.

”Here.” Lance said, giving Faye the second cup. ”Let’s empty these then use the cups for the beer. It’s hard to go around carrying beer bottles without drawing unwanted attention.” he added, draining his own cup quickly.

Once drained, Lance transferred the remaining contents of the bottle into the cup, covering it again afterwards. He did the same thing to the second bottle once Faye had emptied her own cup.

Having completed the transfers, Lance unceremoniously junked the emptied bottles into the trash bin, just as the detective had suggested earlier. The deed was finally accomplished and they can now get on with their stalled date.

Lance started walking towards a different food stall... Leading his date away from the entire scene.

Kate! Lost bread boy?

Kate turned to see the girl she had met yesterday, Faye. Kate would have walked over, but she seemed to be deep in conversation with her companion. Kate fixed the wrinkles her costume had accumulated from colliding with Jorge and being rather frantic over the past 15 minutes, while she waited for them to finish.

She had chosen to go as Alice for a few reasons. First being, it was one of her favorite books to escape the confines of Kirby Hall with. She would spend hours hiding in the library reading both books over and over again. They were about this fantastical world she could only dream of visiting. She saw herself as Alice sometimes. She longed, like Alice, to be free of her situation. She loved her family but always wanted more. She wanted to be free to live her life the way she wanted and wished there was no one to stop her.Kate had finally broken free and was living in a fantastical world just like the little girl in her favorite novel, and she couldn't be more happy about it.

After about 10 minutes of waiting Faye's companion walked away returning moments later with drinks. They seemed to drink them down and then refill them with the contents of the bottles they were also carrying. Kate wasn't sure why they were doing such an odd thing but didn't bother asking. She walked over and smiled politely at the two in question.

"Hello Faye. Who's your friend?"

She had finally decided to give up on her 'date' as she couldn't find him and apologize for loosing him when she saw him next at the mansion. Kate knew that if he was really looking for her too she would have found him by now as she had not moved in a few minutes. She would just enjoy the company of Faye and her friend for a bit and then head home. Maybe the evening wouldn't be a complete waste.

Central Park – Angel at the Water Fountain

Christanna Addams, only twelve years old, with curly red hair and a pale face covered in freckles glowered as she slowly walked behind a slow moving older couple. One of them was dressed as the classic, Bela Lugosi Dracula while the other, a blonde woman was dressed as a Princess and seemed to have trouble keeping up with the man. Christianna was only too happy to be so far behind them. It was not as if they would notice anyway. After all, did they even care about the costume she chose for this evening? Did they even care that their twelve year old daughter was running around, dressed in a gauzy, midnight blue dress with a flowing train? Or that she wore her best gold jewelry and had a circlet of fake little blue jewels around her brow? No they paid no heed to the fact that she just spent weeks making her own costume based after Nyx, Goddess of the Night and Dreams! No, the only time they cared was when –

“Christianna!” the Dracula, also known as Gerald Addams shouted as he stood under the arch and glared at his daughter. “Pick up your feet! We’re already late!”

“Come on, don’t yell at her tonight,” the blonde pleaded as she stood under the arch and sighed with exasperation at her husband.

Gerald Addams only seemed to growl as he grabbed the woman by her arm and spun her hard. The man, the great contributor to the city, the whole corridinator for this event, in that moment, looked more demonic than the creature he attempted to portray. His teeth ground, fake fangs bared as he tightened his grip on the woman and then finally let her go.

“You don’t speak back to me,” he said and shot a dagger-like glare at the Christanna. “And you, keep up. We’re late enough as it is and I will not be embarrassed.”

Christanna sniffled a little as she wiped a tear from her cheek. There was nothing she could say so she merely followed them further into the park.

The park around was oppressive with the darkness. Around every corner, under every rock and behind every tree, was a choking darkness that seemed like an entity enticing them to come closer. They beckoned, whispered through the wind that rustled the leaves, that tonight was a night where they could be anyone, do anything, and act in any way that they pleased. But even as the music and flashing lights of the far away festivities drew closer with each step, the joy and imagination was lost on one particular girl. Christianna only wanted to go home now, lock herself in her room and fall asleep to the music on her ipod. Being here only meant one thing, listening to her father’s inane acceptance speech for putting on this charity.

It’s all a lie, she mumbled as he absently rubbed her arm where it had once been fractured. The cool October air must be making it sore.

As they were closer to their destination, she spied a couple of more people in costume now scattered about. They were getting in the midst of the groups. She saw wolfmen, monsters, famous historical figures, fictional characters, even an appliance or food costume or two. Then she was nearly startled when a tall, thin man jumped out at her, grinning and laughing in a wheezing manner. The man was odd to say the least, dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans with thick, coke bottle glasses. The shirt had some writing on it that looked like the letters, M-R-O flared it white across it. But the oddest thing came when the man laughed and held out what looked like a ball of string.

“Wanna thread?!”

Christanna, too shocked for words suddenly began to laugh hysterically. The man was so ridiculous looking that she could not help herself! But that joy was short lived. Before long her father reappeared and snatched her away roughly. He growled even more inhumanly as he glared down at the young girl.

“What is wrong with you?! I told you we were in a hurry! Stop wasting my time!!” With each sentence his grip tightened considerably on her already sore arm.

Christianna, unable to take it anymore, simply screamed out, tears flooding her face as a massive migraine set in. She yelled out as she shoved her father backward with her tiny hands and took a couple of weak steps backward, unable to contain her sobs and tears anymore. She gasped heavily as she raised her hand and pointed accusingly at him, running the sore spot on her arm with her free hand.

“You’re a lie! You’re nothing but a lie!!!!”

As she screamed the last word, a sudden glow began to emit from her forehead. Another massive headache struck her and this was more painful than the last, something which she could not contain anymore. Her emotions bubbled up to a frenzy, Christanna ground her teeth to the point that she could swear she heard one or two breaking then…as the beautiful white light around her forehead reached it’s apex…she screamed.

Her voice was dry and hoarse as it echoed out through the trees and struck the ears of any and all within range. She could not stop yelling, especially as the light from her forehead grew in intensity before it exploded, a burst of magnificent, spider-webbing white light that erupted from this single person like an all encompassing blanket. It spread out, farther and farther, growing whiter and bright as it enveloped any in its path. There was no escape, no running, it rolled over the green grass like a swift moving fog with only one thought in mind…expand…

Expand…

EXPAND…

And in an instant, as this fog of fast moving white light reached the edges of Central Park, having covered all of the festivities, it suddenly WHOOOOOSHED!!! backward and condensed into the single body of Christianna. The girl was thrown off her feet and fell backward. She groaned painfully as she stared up at the sky in shock, wondering what that pain she felt was and why…why did her head buzz like a honeycomb now? She shook as she stood up, weakly and feebly, and glanced around her.

“H-Hello?” she asked nervously. “M-Mom? Dad?”

She crept forward, unable to believe her eyes. Everyone she could see, everyone inside the park, including her parents, simply stood there. Unmoving, unresponsively, the people she could see seem to be staring there in a daze, staring wide-eyed up at the sky with the only movement being their shallow in and out take of breath. It looked like something from a horror movie…and just like any horror movie, Christanna screamed…and ran somewhere…anywhere as people continued to stare up in the sky blankly.