CHAPTER ONE

There's something about fall, something, mystical about it. Mesmerizing. Comforting even. I always feel energized and excited whenever the weather starts to shift and that distinct fall smell fills the air. The one of burning fires and crispy leaves, there's just something about it that I've always fallen in love with. It was my favorite thing about living on the East Coast, how distinctive all the seasons are. How it's still warm enough to keep the windows open, but cool enough to need to add an extra quilt when you're sleeping or snuggling on the couch. It makes said snuggling that much more amazing. Then there's the warm fires in the backyard, roasting marshmallows, drinking cider and long walks through the woods - I fall in love with fall every time it comes back around.

I was worried when I moved to Seattle, that the seasons wouldn't be as distinct, that it would make me homesick, but I was super happy to learn that their falls are just as beautiful. Different, but still beautiful. I love watching the leaves change colors, from the bright green to the luscious yellows and oranges and deep reds. I love that the sun sets sooner, that the nights last longer, and that the rain is more steady and constant. The cool breezes nip at your ears and the feeling of having to wear a coat and pulling it up around your neck is wonderful.

It also means that Callie breaks out the leather jacket and never leaves home without it. And there's nothing more awesome than that.

The best part about fall? Halloween. I love it. Everything about it. As a kid I loved dressing up and getting candy, and I loved the annual haunted house my parents always ran on base for the families there. My brother and I had so much fun together dressing up and going trick-or-treating. It was really one of the few times we were allowed to just be kids, we could hide behind our masks and not be a high ranking officer's kids or worry about having to follow the rules. Halloween was my escape.

And my love for Halloween didn't diminish as an adult. I always hang up decorations in my house, stock up on the best candy, carve pumpkins and the lot. I don't care how ridiculous people think I am, I love every second. I always decorate my Peds wing and make sure the kids got to go trick-or-treating from room to room. I do craft projects with them, I read them goofy stories and scary ones to the older kids, and I even help them dress up. I make sure it's fun, because being stuck in the hospital when all your friends and family are out living their lives and enjoying holidays is just no fair.

Ever since Callie and I got together, she hasn't exactly shared my enthusiasm for holidays. When you work with kids, their excitement and magic and awe of the seasons is infectious. Even if I wanted to "grow up" as Callie put it, I couldn't. Eventually I managed to wear off on her because she gets just as excited as I do now. And this holiday is no different. I've been prepping her for weeks for this. Dropping hints of decorations I'd like or when we can go pick out our pumpkins. This year, I'm extra excited because I've decided to throw a Halloween consume party in the Peds wing. Everyone is invited - kids, parents, doctors, nurses - everyone.

I page Callie into the Peds on-call room one afternoon to go over my plans. I'm surrounded by artwork the kids have drawn, hand crafted ghosts and skeletons, and by boxes filled with other decorations. In all honesty, I need her help to pull all of this off. She likes the executing part, I like the planning. I have everything written out and decorations separated into boxes detained by their places in the wing. I have a list of wanted costumes by each kid, their favorite candy, and what they're scared of. I have everything planned and perfect. All I need is someone to help me put it into motion. Someone strong, someone who breaks bones for a living, and someone who just so happens to be woven around my little finger.

She rushes in, obviously out of breath, closing the door frantically with a huge smirk across her face. And as she sets her eyes on me, she visibly slumps and displays a slight pout as she crosses the distance of the room. Apparently she'd forgotten our discussion this morning about her helping me during our lunch hour, because I have a feeling that she was looking for a little afternoon delight. Unlucky for her, I'm neck deep in costumes and am currently sewing the mane of a lion onto a brown hoodie for little Mason in room 408. She flops down beside me with a loud huff of air as she rolls her eyes in my direction.

"Are you kidding me? I ran all the way up here, thinking you wanted some…" she smirks and cocks an eyebrow in my direction, lifting her brow over and over, suggesting she thought she was getting laid.

"Not everything we have to do in this room has to be sex, sweetie. I told you I needed your help today during lunch."

"Ari, it's an on-call room, when don't we meet up here for anything but some hot sweaty sex? Seriously."

"Just shut up and help me, would ya? Right now, I need you to help me put these costumes together. Do this for me and I can guarantee a hot sweaty mind-blowing reward after the party. Multiple times. Deal?"

Callie mutters something under her breath and sinks deeper into her seat, reluctantly outstretching her arm with a stubborn ferocity. "Give me a costume," she grumbles, pouting that she couldn't change my mind. I smirk out of satisfaction and hand her a fairy costume awaiting a hefty bedazzle treatment.

I love the persuasive power I have over her, but part of me is convinced Callie has learned to use this to her own advantage. Especially when it comes to sex. Not that I mind, really. There's nothing like listening to her breath hitch right before she comes, digging her nails into my back as she arches her own, letting me go deeper as she gets closer aaand ... I'm getting way off track. I shake my head of all the inappropriate thoughts, and of the desire to jump Callie and take her right there as she hot glues jewels onto the fabric with that overly dramatic pout etched on her face.

Costumes now, rock Calliope's world later.

Five hours, thirty-five costumes, and eight boxes of hand crafted decorations and lights later, I make my way with Callie in tow, ridiculously excited about decorating the place up for my favorite holiday. I can hear Callie grumble under her breath behind me, something about being whipped and hanging crap for kids instead of getting laid. I turn around and shoot her an icy glare, complete with an incredulous look and a blatant eye roll. She can suck it up.

"You get laid all the time, Calliope. Suck it."

"I was planning to 'suck it' but you were all 'help me, blah blah, glue this.' I wanted to fuc-"

"Okay! Keep your voice down. Geesh."

She smirked.

"You love me."

"Yeah, a lotta good that's done me."

Her eyes become droopy and her mouth drops open and then quickly closes as her brow scrunches slightly into an almost and completely unintentional puppy dog eyed pout. So. Adorable.

"Hey! I helped a lot. I glued and pinned and painted and filled those plastic glove things with popcorn and all of that other shit for you."

"I know baby, I just like making you squirm because it's super cute. You've been a big help, and I'll reward you in a big way as soon as everything blows over with the party."

"Promise?"

"Oh, yes. And you know I always make good on my promises."

We walk into each patient room with a box, an invitation, and a costume for the little one tucked into their beds. Their smiles are infectious and their giggles make my heart swell. I talk to the child about their favorite candy and their costume and try to get them pumped up about the party, while Calliope hangs decorations all around the room. She's being a big help, keeping the pouting to a minimum, and I catch her, quite often, glancing our way with those big beautiful eyes full of love and adoration.

I know she's secretly loving this, even though I'm not sure she'd ever admit to enjoying the manual labor that comes along with it. To my surprise, two of the kids ask her when she's going to play UNO with them again, which makes me giggle, and her blush. Callie has been sneaking up here to play with the kiddos. Yep. Madly in love with her.

Technically our shifts ended an hour ago, but Callie decided she was going to finish decorating the entire department now instead of later. I gotta hand it to her, she's totally gone above and beyond. It almost seems like she's up to something, she's being too helpful and accommodating, then again, when isn't she up to something? As long as things get decorated and awesome-ified for the party, let those beautiful thoughts and schemes run through her beautiful head and I'll get my party and then I'll give her a memorable orgasm, or more, afterward.

Sounds. Like. An. Awesome. Plan.