Many apologies for the lateness. I am sure that all of you know my busy schedule, and last week was no exception. But I couldn't let the holiday pass without contributing my first CaReese trick-or-treat…and trust me, from the early response I received, I think you will agree that it was worth the wait. That said, this was a very sentimental story for me. Just like Joss, my family lived a couple of blocks from a drive-in that showed the goriest, B-rate horror flicks, and it was my dad who got me hooked on horror flicks. In fact, the movie Reese summarizes is one that I still remember…even 35 years after the fact!

Thanks to Nkhen for the prompts and great Halloween song. It took some ingenuity, but I got it all to fit, and to work! I hope you enjoy!

I don't own Person of Interest.

Song prompt: "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell (with MJ doing the bkgd vocals!)

This story is dedicated to all of the wonderful actors of the past who truly put the fright in frightening, and caused all of us to hide behind our hands, and always feel that there was somebody watching us.

Somebody's Watching Me

Sitting on the couch, in the dark living room, Joss Carter huddled under the afghan and waited with bated breath as the movie hit the overly dramatic climatic finish. When the heroine saved the day, Joss called out: "You go, girl!" and popped her fist in the air in victory.

"You really like this, don't you?" Reese asked from his corner of the couch. He lifted the can of Dr. Pepper to his lips and took a big swallow.

"What? You don't?" Joss returned with a raise of her eyebrow.

"I just never knew there was this side of you," he remarked with a small smile. Three years since he fell under the spell of Joss Carter, John Reese thought he knew everything there was to what made her unique. Then he discovered her hidden love of gory horror flicks.

"We should all have a secret side that is protected from the outside world," she defended and stretched her legs out to get the blood flowing again.

"True."

"But…?" she prompted.

"But I never would have suspected this was your secret side, Joss." He set the can down on the coffee table and stood up so he could grab the DVD cover. "Peter Cushing?"

"I'll have you know he was the best Van Helsing."

"And Vincent Price?"

"Nothing scarier than 'House of Wax'."

Reese set the two DVD covers down and picked up a third. "Christopher Lee…?"

"Scariest vampire of them all."

"No, Joss, this is scary. You're a homicide detective who sees death every day. You should be watching…" He searched his memory for a popular chick-flick title. "…'Titanic'."

"Heh," she scoffed dismissively. "That's how much you know about me." She gathered up the stray pieces of popcorn that had fallen between the cushions and onto the floor. "These movies are what propelled me to want to become a detective."

"Who in their right mind introduced you to this…blood fest?" Reese couldn't begin to fathom the insanity of the person who corrupted sweet, little Joss when she was a child.

"My dad." Joss threw the stray kernels into the bowl. "We lived a couple of blocks away from the only drive-in, and on Friday nights they showed two scary movies for the price of one."

"Your dad took you to scary movies? On purpose?" Reese said in disbelief. But he also felt a stab of jealousy.

"I liked them. He liked them. It was our time to bond." Joss smiled at the memory of sitting in the front seat of the station wagon and watching the movie with her late dad. "I can tell you that today's movies have nothing on those oldies but goodies."

"Yet, you won't go into haunted houses," Reese mused and slipped the disc into the case.

"No," Joss corrected, "I don't go into haunted houses on nights with a full moon. There is a difference."

"Let me get this straight: You will watch vampires, brain-eating zombies, and radioactive rats, but you don't go into haunted houses on nights with a full moon?"

"It's a long story. Okay," she conceded, "I hate haunted houses because I always feel like somebody's watching me. And it creeps me out. Satisfied?"

Reese walked over to where Joss stood and wrapped his arms around her. "That's a good enough reason for me, Joss." He dipped his head to nibble on her ear. "But think there is more to your story and I would love to hear all of it."

"And you will," she breathed. "But not tonight. I have three more hours to watch movies, and I am going to make the most of it."

"We can always forgo the movies and have our own version of 'Trick or Treat'," he offered. His lips continued with the exploration down her neck. She smelled of jasmine and buttered popcorn, and the combination was weirdly erotic.

Joss pushed on his chest. "Good try. This is my night to give into my obsession. Put the next movie in while I get some more popcorn." She grabbed the bowl and walked to the kitchen. A minute later the scent of fresh popped popcorn wafted into the living room.

"It's ready," Reese called out. He fast forwarded thru the previews to the menu.

Joss hurried out. "I'm here." She settled on the couch. A second later she jumped up. "I forgot something." Quickly, she ran to the kitchen. The sound of a cupboard door slamming reverberated to the front room. A second later she hopped on to the couch and curled her legs under.

"I almost forgot the candy corn," she announced and ripped open the bag. Taking a deep breath thru her nose, she smiled.

"You're not actually going to eat that, are you?" Reese winced at the thought of candy corn and the painful way the sugar made his teeth ache.

"Yes, I am." Joss sat down on the couch and pulled the afghan over her legs. "Want some?" She offered the bag over.

Reese shook his head. "No, thank you. I want to keep my teeth for as long as possible."

"You don't like candy corn?" Joss was astonished by the revelation. She thought she knew everything about the man she vowed to love forever and eternity beyond.

"No." Reese hit PLAY to start the movie.

"You couldn't tell me this before we got married?"

"Would you have turned me down?"

Joss plopped a handful of the sugary sweet candy into her mouth. "I'm going to have to think about it."

"Thanks."

Joss took a few kernels of popcorn and a couple of candies and put them in her mouth.

"Did you just combine the two?"

"Mmmm hmmm. You should try it."

"I'll pass."

"You don't know what you're missing," Joss teased and ate another handful.

"Movie is starting," Reese pointed out. He reached over and turned out the light as the opening credits flashed on the screen. He tried to keep his attention on the blood, guts and gore that filled nearly every frame, but his attention was eventually diverted to the warm body slowly pressing into his side. He wrapped a protective arm around her as the movie climaxed to a semi-satisfying, but confusing, ending.

Holding the remote, he stopped the DVD. He looked down at the woman curled into his side. "You can take your hand away; the movie is over. You covered your eyes," he teased.

"I was not hiding my eyes," Joss hotly denied. Reese raised both of his eyebrows in feigned. "Okay," she groused. "Maybe a little."

"Why watch it if you are going to keep your eyes covered?" Reese rubbed his hand over Joss' arm comfortingly.

"Because that is part of the fun of watching." Joss sat up and stretched. "So, what did you think?"

Reese pondered his response before replying, "Two men trying to protect a woman who is destined to be consecrated to God, but they have to spend a night in a haunted castle surrounded by brain eating zombies. The woman is driven mad, and in the end, she spends the rest of her life in a convent never knowing if that night was a figment of her imagination or not." He nodded, satisfied by his critique. "It was…different."

Joss stood up. "So, you liked it?"

"I wouldn't go that far, Joss. I think it was less stomach turning than your snack, though."

Joss threw the small pillow at him. "Next year, you can chase after numbers." She walked over to the TV.

"You realize that this means you have to watch Samurai movies with me," Reese said smugly with a smile.

"Two." She held up her fingers to confirm her statement.

"Five."

"Two," Joss turned to face him. Her hands were firmly on her hips.

"Four."

"We watched three horror movies, so I owe you two of your movies."

"How do you figure?"

"The badge and handcuffs."

"You drive a hard bargain, Detective. Two it is."

"And…I get to bring the snacks."

Reese closed his eyes. "Not that deadly combination you subjected me to?"

"I like it."

"It's disgusting."

Joss turned around and pressed the eject button. "Maybe so, but the baby likes it," she replied, nonplussed and placed the disc in the case.

"Baby?" Reese's voice was barely a whisper. Joss turned around to face him.

"Yeah," she confirmed.

"How? When?" He tried to make sense of the news. Of all the things he had been trained to be prepared for, this had never been touched on. Now it was here, and he had to remember to breathe.

Joss cocked her head. "If you have to ask how…Finch is going to have to lighten your load. As for when…" She walked over to him and took his hands in hers. "…I took a test a couple of days ago, but I got it confirmed this morning. I wanted to surprise you."

"I'm officially surprised."

"I figured since we got engaged on Easter Sunday, a baby announcement on Halloween would be keeping in tradition."

Reese pulled her into his lap. She felt so good and perfect in his arms. And he felt so blessed.

"When is your due date?" He pressed his hand to her abdomen. It was too soon, he knew, but he wanted that connection.

"July 4th."

"Perfect." Reese drew her hand to his lips. He kissed it. "So, you think he'll like your snack combination and horror movies?"

"I don't know. She might like Samurai movies and Dr. Pepper."

"I guess we can't lose." Holding her tight, he shifted his weight to lay her on the couch.

"What are you doing?" Joss protested. "We still have one more movie."

"I think we've had enough trick for the night." His blue eyes twinkled with tears. "I think we need to spend the remainder of the night treating ourselves to a private celebration."

"What do you have in mind?" Joss wondered saucily. Reese leaned down and whispered in her ear. "That sounds…tempting." He whispered in her ear again. "Oh…that is most definitely better than candy corn."

"I thought you'd trade one for the other. I love you, Joss," Reese said but his voice was thick with emotion. She was so beautiful. So incredibly beautiful. And she belonged to him. Her and their baby.

"I love you too. Now treat me."

He lowered his lips to hers. "For the rest of my life," he vowed and then kissed her.

And outside, the full moon winked at the lovers.

The End.