The countdown to Halloween has officially started. Starting today I'll post a one shot each day leading up to Halloween.

Tomorrow would be Halloween and Cat had nothing to wear for a costume. She loved dressing up as all manner of things, but this year her parents had been busy with her brother and didn't have the time to take her costume shopping. So instead, she went searching on her own. Right when she thought all hope was lost and she would have to be something she had been already, she encountered a small shop. It didn't look like any store she had been to before. Just the entrance gave her chills. It was dimly lit and the ghastly masks hung up along with the various decorations and accessories on the shelves looked too real. But despite that, she entered. She needed a costume and nothing was going to stop her until she had one. She carefully navigated the cramped space until she came to what looked like a very cluttered counter. She moved to ring the bell resting on top when a raspy voice spoke up right next to her, making her jump.

"Looking for something specific, dear?" the old hunched-over woman asked. Cat skittered away, arms tucked close in slight fear, but managed to shake her head.

"N-no. I was just looking for a neat costume I can wear for tomorrow. I've looked everywhere and I haven't-" she began to explain, but the woman held up a hand and she fell quiet with the gesture alone.

"You've come to the right place. I have a big assortment of costumes. I'll show you," the shopkeeper said, leading the way down a row of shelves. Cat followed but kept her distance from everything, including the old woman.

"Now, if you aren't looking for anything particular I'll give you my personal favorite suggestion," the woman said, stopping at the back where an ornate black box sat upon a shelf. She picked it up and turned to hold it out to Cat who hesitated. Spikes and swirls decorated it and a shiny black bow topped it, the ribbon seemingly frayed.

"How much is it?" she wondered, getting the feeling that it wouldn't be cheap.

"Oh, don't worry about that. You look so desperate to have something for tomorrow, I'll let you have it for free," the old woman replied. Cat's eyes lit up as she hugged the box to her chest in excitement.

"Really? Thank you! That's so nice of you!" she exclaimed. The woman smiled.

"It's nice to see someone interested in the spirit of Halloween. I assure you, with this, Halloween will be a day you'll never forget," she told the happy redhead.

"Yay! Halloween here I come!" Cat shouted, running from the shop, all fear and uncertainty lost. She yelled another thank you as she ran out but the woman just watched her go with a wicked smile.

"Have fun, dear," she mumbled to no one but herself.

Halloween had thankfully fallen on a Saturday so Tori and Jade didn't have to trudge through school before going out. Which led to other activities to fill the time until they had to meet up with the rest of the gang.

"Jade, don't you think we should start getting ready? It's getting dark," Tori reminded her affectionate girlfriend. Jade groaned a complaint and went back to kissing down her neck. It wasn't like she didn't like the attention, because she did very much, but they had somewhere to be and she was nothing if not punctual. Jade on the other hand…

"We still have an hour to get ready and we're going around your neighborhood so technically we're already here," Jade replied, a hand coming up to direct Tori's mouth to hers. Jade always knew just how to take her breath away. When they parted she had that smile Jade called idiotic but secretly found endearing. Tori shook away the daze of being kissed senseless and untangled herself from Jade.

"Where are you going?" Jade protested.

"To get ready. Come on," Tori responded, voice unyielding. Jade rolled her eyes but slid off Tori's bed. Tori went to her closet and Jade dug through the bag she brought with her. She planned to spend the night with Tori after they went trick or treating so maybe she could pick up where they left off later. Jade was almost dressed when she caught sight of Tori's costume. She smirked and walked over to hug her from behind.

"I am so glad I won that bet. You look good enough to eat," she joked playfully, lightly biting at Tori's neck. Tori laughed but pushed her away.

"Go put on your fangs and let's get going," she ordered. Jade frowned but did as she was told. The custom fangs she ordered were expensive but way better than anything sold in stores that would give her a horrible speech impediment. These clipped right onto her teeth and made them look like real fangs. The bet she had made with Tori concluded with her winning. For her prize she got to pick what they would wear for Halloween. Tori wanted to be some cutesy matching couple crap, but if Jade was going to do that she wanted it to be something better than some themed atrocity everyone did. She was glad to have won, so this year she was a vampire and Tori was her sexy victim, held prisoner to do to as she wished. While Jade wore a nicely tailored shirt and vest that clung to her curves along with slim pants and polished black boots, her cape flowing behind her, Tori wore a nice dress of the same era as Jade's clothes. Victorian, if she remembered correctly. With some make-up she would make a bloody bite on her neck. The dark yet intricately designed dress she wore was picked out by Jade, and she couldn't get enough of how great Tori looked in it with her hair wavy and tumbling over her bare shoulders.

"Ready?" Tori asked from her place in front of the mirror, touching up anything she felt was out of place. The dress would have looked killer with heels but she made sure to slip on some plain black flats so that she wouldn't hate walking hours from now.

"Yes. Let's go, my love. The night awaits," Jade responded in fairly accurate accent. She pushed her cape back with a flourish and extended a hand to Tori who took it with a giggle. Together they walked outside where they would wait for the rest of the group to arrive.

"I'm glad Trina left early to that party and didn't decide to tag along. I'd have to hear her complaining all night," Tori mumbled, turning to see Beck pull up right on time. Jade snickered and pulled her close.

"Are you sure you just don't want her to know that you lost the bet, thus owing her twenty bucks?" Jade taunted.

"Ok, first of all, she's my sister. She should be backing me up, not you! Secondly, you cheated so you shouldn't have won in the first place," Tori pouted, crossing her arms.

"Victoria, don't do that. It's not becoming to act childish," Jade chastised her using the accent, smirking when Tori became more irritated. She grinned, showing off her fangs and then kissed Tori's cheek.

"So what, we're going to be method acting the rest of the night?" Tori inquired just as their friends got out of the car and headed over to them.

"If you want. Personally, I would love to see you throwing yourself at me all night while I gladly have my way with you," Jade mumbled, scraping a fang lightly on Tori's jaw. She didn't mean to shiver, but Jade's voice and the pointed fang against her skin was an unexpected pleasure. Yet she pushed Jade back and turned away, playing hard to get. She knew Jade enjoyed the chase. It was a game they played often back when they both figured out how each other felt but teased and taunted before sharing their first kiss. It was supposed to be a challenge, to see who would give in first. They both did at the same time.

"Damn, you're looking great, Tori," Andre complimented when he saw her. Jade let out a convincing hiss and pulled Tori into her possessive arms.

"She's mine, dog," she growled, eyeing Andre who was dressed as a werewolf. The make-up team Cat was a part of was really getting good at prosthetics and hair. Andre caught on to their little act and snarled in return.

"Maybe I'll win her from you, vamp," he retorted, stalking closer. His hands were raised, sharp nails poised. He wore tattered clothes, like the transformation ripped them. Jade removed Tori from his line of sight and strode forward to meet him head on. They were just about to reach each other when Cat jumped in between them.

"No fighting!" she demanded forcefully, holding out her hands. Both Jade and Andre suddenly froze without their consent. Neither thought much about their sudden halt because both were disappointed they couldn't act out a fight.

"We weren't really going to fight, Cat," Andre told her.

"I don't care. We're going to have fun tonight and that includes no fighting," the redheaded witch told them. Jade just shrugged and looked past Cat to see Robbie and Beck. Robbie wore the typical black suit and clunky shoes of Frankenstein's monster. His face and hands were painted and the stitches looked close to real. Beck stood next to him in a fancy suit and top hat.

"What are you? A groom at a wedding?" Jade joked, walking up to him and flicking the brim of his hat. He fixed it with a light frown but puffed out his chest. With a flourish of his hands he produced a wand Jade knew was just up his sleeve. She wasn't distracted enough to be tricked. She rolled her eyes but Cat clapped.

"I'm a magician," he explained.

"Excellent. Dinner and a show," Jade commented, looking back to Tori with a hungry stare. It actually made Tori gulp in anticipation.

"Shouldn't I be the show? I can do magic too," Cat spoke up, running over while holding her pointed hat on her head so that it didn't fly off.

"Cat, you can't do magic," Robbie told her, politely patient yet still gaining the witch's wrath.

"Can too! I turned my brother into a troll!" she exclaimed.

"You told us your brother was going to be a troll for Halloween," Robbie pointed out.

"I know. And now he is," she confirmed with a self-satisfied nod.

"Come on. Before you two get in another fight," Beck advised through a sigh. He took them both by the arm and made them start walking. Each of them unraveled their worn yet trusty pillowcases they took every year. They lasted longer than bags and could withstand pounds of candy should they hit a lot of houses.

"But I did!" Cat claimed, voice raised to anyone who would listen. No one did. They all made their way down the street to begin their candy collecting. With one block down they were ready to start on another when Cat jumped in front of them.

"I'll show you," she insisted. They all groaned.

"Cat…" Tori began gently, but the witch didn't want to hear it. She raised her hands and then threw them forward, fingers wiggling at her group of unconvinced friends. A cold wind swept through the air, making each of them shiver, but that was about it.

"Are you sure you aren't Mother Nature?" Andre joked, referring to the drop in temperature. Cat was not amused. She stomped off ahead of them and Tori jabbed Andre in the side. He didn't even flinch.

"Hey," he complained anyway. They hurried to keep Cat in sight so that they didn't lose her, but Robbie was starting to slow down.

"Tired already, Shapiro? Is it too much past your bedtime?" Jade taunted, smirking at Robbie who was hobbling along with some difficulty. He grumbled something unintelligible and shoved her out of the way with an amount of force she didn't think he had.

"What's his problem?" Jade questioned, glancing to Tori who shrugged. Jade's eyes dropped to the smooth skin of her shoulders and neck, suddenly feeling a strange pull for a second, but then Beck's voice snapped her out of it.

"Andre, what the heck are you doing, man?" he shouted, shoving Andre away from a group of kids he had bowled over. Beck seemed to be the only one to notice him running off, howling and growling as he pounced on some kids. Once he got him to stand he had to jump back from a swinging claw. Andre snarled and moved to attack again. Beck reflexively held out his wand and a shower of bright sparking lights shot forward to blind the werewolf. He howled and covered his eyes before running away.

"Andre!" Tori tried calling after him, but he didn't seem to hear her. That or he didn't care, because soon he had disappeared down the street.

"Jade, we should go after him! Jade?" she panicked, halting when her girlfriend didn't answer. She turned to her, coming face to face with an expression she had never seen before. It was cold and lacked emotion. But the hunger in her gaze; that was a little more familiar. Yet something about it made her step back.

"Jade?" she squeaked out. A pale hand reached out to grip tightly at her wrist, yanking her closer. The other tipped her head back. Jade leaned in, nuzzling at her neck before her tongue slid over her warm skin. Fear clutched at Tori, pronounced by the lack of heat that should be coming from Jade. Sharp teeth barely had a chance to graze her skin when bright lights filled her vision. Jade hissed angrily and covered her eyes, backing away. Beck stood with his wand at the ready, pointed right at Jade.

"She's mine," Jade growled, refusing to back down. Beck only conjured up a small bottle with what looked like ordinary water.

"Don't make me hurt you," he threatened. Jade darted forward but fell to her knees seconds later, skin smoking, when Beck tossed the contents of the bottle at her. She screamed and held her face in her hands.

"Beck! What did you do?" Tori yelled, rushing to kneel by Jade.

"Tori, be careful. Something isn't right here," he warned.

"I tried to tell you!" Cat emphasized, sad that she couldn't stop the flow of power that made her want to prove herself. It wasn't enough to just tell them of what she could do. She had to make them see. The scream of kids brought the three friends' attention to a group running away from Robbie who narrowly missed hitting them when he threw a bike. He let out a deep sound then began to shuffle towards more frightened kids. Beck waved his wand and fire burst to life on Robbie's sleeve.

"Fire!" he screamed, trying desperately to put it out.

"Beck, how are you-" Tori began to ask, but her words cut off when Jade suddenly grabbed her, pulling her close and biting into her shoulder. She cried out at the sharp pain and tried to get loose but Jade held her tightly. An unseen force abruptly pushed Jade off her, throwing the vampire feet away to hit the ground hard. She pushed herself to her feet and the light of a lamp post illuminated her quickly healing features that had burned away.

"Get up. We have to get out of here," Beck told her urgently, hauling her to her feet.

"But…I don't…what's going on?" she muttered, having a hard time understanding. She looked to Cat who returned the look with one of guilt.

"You made them like this," Tori said, finally understanding. Cat's shoulders drooped and she averted her eyes.

"We can talk later," Beck said, grabbing them both and forcing them into a run. Jade's sharp gaze locked on Tori, refusing to allow her to be taken away. She decided to follow at a distance, remaining hidden until the right moment presented itself.

Tori, Beck, and Cat practically fell over each other in their haste to get back to Tori's house. Tori made sure to lock the door once they were safely inside.

"What the chiz happened out there?" she questioned, hoping her friends could provide answers.

"I'm sorry," Cat apologized, plopping on the couch.

"Cat, it's not your fault," Beck tried to say, but Cat wouldn't listen.

"No. It is. I went looking for a costume last minute and found this creepy shop. The lady there told me that with this I would have a Halloween I would never forget. I thought she meant I would have lots of fun like we always do, not turn my friends into monsters!" she explained, tears in her eyes. Tori sat down next to her, patting her shoulder.

"It's ok, Cat. You didn't know," she insisted. Cat just whimpered.

"She's right. We're fine and the others will probably be fine too. We just need to get back to that shop and find out how to fix this," Beck suggested. Cat nodded and wiped at her tears.

"It's a good thing we weren't dressed as monsters, huh?" Tori said, looking to Beck.

"Yeah, but these magic tricks do come in handy," he replied, holding out his hand and conjuring his wand out of nowhere, unlike the last time when he obviously tried at distracting the eyes on him so that he could slip out the wand from his sleeve.

"Do you remember where the shop is?" Tori asked Cat.

"Yeah," she responded, head bowed and voice cracking.

"Let's go," Tori coaxed, pulling her to her feet with her.

"Uh, maybe you should clean up first," Beck pointed out. Tori didn't know what he meant until she remembered the very real blood staining her skin. She left to clean away the fake make-up along the right side of her neck as well as the bite on her left shoulder. The blood already began to clot at the wound and it stained a bit of her dress, but otherwise she looked better than she had before. She joined her friends in the car with Beck at the wheel and Cat in the passenger seat so that she could give him directions. They pulled up outside the shop, which wasn't too far away, and looked out the window.

"Cat, this is a laundry mat," Beck said, wondering if she forgot where the shop was.

"No! It's a creepy shop! It really is!" she insisted, jumping out of the car. Beck and Tori rushed to follow her.

"Maybe we should retrace your steps and-" Tori began to suggest, but Beck spoke up.

"Hold on," he said, all his attention focused on the small building in front of them. He pushed back his cape so that it billowed in the breeze and then waved his wand. For a second, Tori thought she saw a different building before them.

"She's hiding it from us," Cat realized. Beck nodded.

"Can you help me uncover it?" he asked her.

"I don't know how," she replied, uncertain of using her temporary powers again.

"Neither do I, but I kind of just let the magic do whatever and it listens," he explained. She took a deep breath then walked over to stand by him.

"Ok," she said with a nod. Together they worked their magic, stripping away the illusion to reveal the shop Cat said would be there.

"That was awesome you guys!" Tori exclaimed, amazed yet still not able to believe that it was happening. They all ran for the closed door and Beck tried to open it.

"Of course. It's locked. Must be closed," he observed.

"No, it can't be closed! We only have until midnight to fix this!" Cat panicked. Beck and Tori froze in place.

"What?" Tori questioned, aghast.

"How do you know that?" Beck inquired.

"There was this card in the box under the costume that said anyone who wears a witch's robes on All Hallows' Eve will be granted powers to do as they wish, but any spell cast will become permanent should they still be activate past midnight," she told them.

"And you didn't think that was important to know before?" Tori demanded, eyes wide and worried. All she could think about was their friends stuck as creatures, of her Jade a blood thirsty vampire. Forever.

"I didn't think it was real until my brother became his costume! Then I forgot about the warning because I was so excited that I could do magic," Cat answered. Beck's jaw clenched with renewed determination. He plucked his hat off his head and waved his wand around the brim.

"Hold out your hand," he told Cat. She complied and he turned over the hat, dropping a key in her palm. Cat quickly used it on the locked door and it swung open with a creak.

"As much as I don't want to go in there, we have no choice. This is serious," Tori said, glancing into the dark shop with quickly rising anxiety. Beck entered first, followed by Cat and then Tori. The door shut behind them.

"I was wondering when you would be back," the raspy voice of the old woman said from the dark. A candle flickered on to highlight her features. More burst on around the shop, revealing the ghoulish faces around them.

"You didn't tell me the costume was magic, and now my friends are monsters!" Cat spoke up, tears in her eyes again.

"Did you see the warning? Did you heed it? It seems not," the old woman said with a shrug.

"Tell us how to reverse the process," Beck demanded, wand at the ready should he need it to threaten her. She cackled, and with a flick of her hand, his wand was taken from him.

"Don't try and get the upper hand on me, boy. You and your friend are powered by a small portion of what I wield," she warned him.

"You're a real witch?" Tori questioned in disbelief.

"Yes. I was exiled from my world and sent here to live among humans. Should I directly use my magic on anyone I would be executed. So I entertain myself by letting curious humans wear my robes, conduct irreversible damage on themselves and the people around them, and then laugh at their misery. Of course, I'm not punished because I didn't cast any spells, but it still leaves those stuck-up council members to clean up after me so that humans aren't too keen on what truly goes on around them," the witch clarified.

"You've had your fun, now tell us how to fix it," Beck pressed, hands in fists at his sides and glowing dully.

"Fine. You must find your friends and bring them back here first. Once they are gathered, our young little witch in training must turn them back. If she fails by the time Halloween is over, your friends are doomed to remain as they are," she told them.

"You can't just poof them back yourself?" Cat asked, terrified of possibly making the situation worse if she tried to turn them back.

"Have you not listened to a single thing I said, stupid girl? I cannot directly use magic," the witch scolded. Cat whined.

"We have to hurry," Beck said, running for the door. Tori was right on his heels. Cat glanced at the stooped witch then turned away to follow them out. It looked like they had some monsters to hunt down.

They found Robbie first. He was busy chasing down a group of kids, the bolts at his neck sparking dangerously with his rage. He was covered in eggs which must have been thrown at him by the now running children.

"Robbie!" Cat yelled, making him stop to look at them. She waved her arms to further gain his attention, and slowly, he began heading in their direction.

"Find Andre and Jade. I'll get Robbie back to the shop," Cat said, backing away.

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone?" Tori checked.

"I did this. I have to make it right," Cat answered. With that, she ran away, triggering Robbie's rampage to catch her. Beck and Tori watched them for a moment before continuing on. Andre was found a while later, deep in a face-off with someone's Rottweiler. They were both growling low, teeth bared. Andre howled and then launched forward but Beck quickly drew his wand, shoving Andre away from the canine. He growled and scrambled to his feet, yellow eyes now on them. He charged, claws ready to tear.

"I got this! Go find Jade!" Beck yelled, taking off down the street after another shove of unseen force was directed at Andre to further anger him. Tori set off quickly, trying not to let her fear take over. Jade was out there somewhere and she had no doubt that the hungry vampire wanted her and no one else. She was her captive victim after all. But a half hour later of searching and she still came up empty. Time was running out. She headed back towards the shop, hoping three people searching would be better than one. She reached the shop just as Beck stumbled out the door. His immaculate suit was torn and he was missing his hat.

"Robbie was easier to trap than Andre," he explained when she took in his appearance.

"What are you doing here? Where's Jade?" he continued, seeing that she was alone.

"I couldn't find her. She could be anywhere at this point. We were lucky Robbie and Andre stuck around. I mean, you know Jade, and if she's anything like how she was before all this happened then she'll probably be just as adventurous and-" Tori rambled, losing hope, but then Beck shut her up with a hasty kiss. Tori made a sound of protest and shoved him away. Seconds later, an angry growl cut through the night air.

"I know Jade, and with you here she wouldn't have left without you. Being what she is now I can guarantee that she's ten times more possessive over you," he stated, eyes going to something over Tori's shoulder. She spun around just in time to see Jade running right at them. Beck pushed Tori ahead and Jade sped up, intent on tearing Beck to shreds for touching what was hers. They burst into the shop with Jade tailing them so closely that her sharp nails just barely nicked Beck's cheek when she swung at him. She lunged again, throwing him back into a shelf that collapsed on both of them. Their arrival caused Robbie to yank at his chains and Andre to circle his cage. Both had been subdued by a quick spell from Cat.

"Jade, stop!" Tori shouted. The vampire released Beck from the tight grip she had on his neck, her fangs bared. She dropped him and stood to stalk closer to Tori who stood her ground.

"You might want to try out that reversal spell before my store is in ruins," the old witch snapped at Cat.

"Oh yeah," she muttered, jumping to attention. She ran over just as Jade took Tori in her arms and dipped her so that her neck was exposed. Tori whimpered and closed her eyes, fingers gripping at Jade's arms. Cat went through the motions, allowing the magic to do as she willed. Just as Jade's very real fangs touched down on Tori's throat, the spell completed. The fatal bite was now rendered harmless, the fake fangs popping off. Jade pulled away, shaking her head to clear the fog it seemed to be in. Robbie held a hand to his head and Andre sunk to the floor with a groan, a hand on his stomach. Beck could feel the tingling of magic fade from him and he knew they had made it just in time.

"What are we doing here?" Jade wondered, pulling Tori upright and then stepping away from her to look around.

"We'll explain later," Tori told her, heart still beating quickly but happy to see Jade back to normal again. Cat waved her hand, breaking Robbie's chains and opening the cage Andre was in.

"And now to return my robes before you're stuck with them," the witch said. Cat panicked once again, her relief short lived.

"But what will I wear?" she asked.

"Your birthday suit for all I care, now give me back my robes," the witch demanded. Beck pulled off his cape and offered it to Cat who hid behind a shelf to get undressed. She pulled the cape closed around her and returned the robes to the shop keeping witch.

"Now get out of my shop," the witch commanded. They all ran for the door, piling in the car and taking off, Beck at the wheel once again.

"I feel horrible," Robbie complained.

"I feel sick. What did I eat?" Andre whined, his stomach churning.

"I feel like knocking you guys out if you don't stop complaining," Jade threatened. She wiped at her face, her hand scraping off dried red flakes. She only then took the time to analyze the metallic taste in her mouth and grimaced.

"So what happened?" she asked aloud, trying to remove the rest of what she figured out to be blood. Tori searched for a napkin to help her out. She stopped fussing and allowed Tori to tend to her after seeing the bite at her shoulder. She had a feeling she was responsible. Cat and Beck exchanged a look.

"What all do you remember?" Beck inquired.

"Cat's nonsense and then nothing," Jade answered. Andre and Robbie nodded.

"You guys became your costumes," Cat said, turning in her seat to look at them with wide apologetic eyes.

"We what?" Robbie exclaimed. Beck sighed and pulled up outside Tori's house.

"We'll tell you everything once we're inside," he said. So everyone climbed out and settled down around the living room. Before they started, Jade properly washed off her face and rinsed out her mouth then sat down on the floor, leaning against the couch with Tori between her legs and Jade's arms around Tori's middle. The others sat on the couch, Robbie and Andre on one and Cat and Beck on the other. The three that remained human through the ordeal took turns explaining what had happened. The other three didn't remember any of it. When it was confirmed that Jade bit Tori, she tenderly kissed the wound at her shoulder in apology. Tori smiled and kissed Jade in return.

"I think we should call it a night," Andre suggested, exhaling heavily. Everyone agreed. Jade and Tori saw them out then took the stairs up to Tori's room so that they could change out of their costumes.

"As scary as it is to know what happened, I wish I was aware of doing it. Maybe I could have recognized you and I wouldn't have…" Jade began, brushing over the bite at Tori's shoulder. Tori took Jade by the hand and led her to bed.

"Everything turned out ok and that's all that matters," she said, unwilling to let the unfortunate event bother them. Jade could see what she was trying to do and let herself do the same. She acknowledged that it happened, but she moved past it.

"I guess so," she agreed, pulling Tori close to her once they were both under the blankets. Silence fell and Tori began to fall asleep when Jade let out an exaggerated sigh, her breath fanning the back of Tori's neck.

"Can I at least get back at Beck for kissing you?" she questioned hopefully.

"He was luring you in so that we could reverse the spell. He was trying to help you," Tori pointed out.

"Yeah, but couldn't he have done something else?" Jade said, voice tight with agitation. Tori huffed out a small chuckle then rolled over. She held Jade's face in her hands and brought their lips together, kissing her with everything she had. When they parted they were panting and pressed up against each other. Jade grinned despite the clear command to shut up. She hugged Tori who relaxed now that she knew Jade was satisfied and would drop it. It was all so surreal, like everything that happened was a dream, but when she woke up the next morning to see the bite that still marred her skin, she knew it was real. It was both terrifying and fantastic in the weirdest way.

So, trick or treat?