I want to thank TrashMouseMike for reminding me that there needs to be a Halloween-chapter. :) *hugs*

Cia

Cia doesn't feel okay as she enters the apartment building. Part of it is due to the fact that her costume only allows her to make small steps. The other part is due to the fact that she hates going to Mike's party alone. Sure, Johnny is going to show up later, but she still hates it.

As much as she hates these short meetings the label sets up on a weekly basis now. And if Cia knows something for sure than the word short doesn't mean anything for the label. So she knew exactly what it meant when Johnny said the label had set up a short get-together. She knew that this meant the get-together was going to last for hours. She knew that Johnny would call or send a text to tell her that she should go to the party without him and that he'd come later.

She knew it, she knew it all, but still, she somehow had hoped for things to be different today. Which they weren't. Johnny's text arrived an hour ago.

And now here she is, entering the elevator and pressing the button for the top floor. And she does not like it!

She checks her reflection in the mirror of the elevator. Granted, she looks okay. The ear clips are annoying, though, not to mention that the long pearl necklace is adding some extra-annoyance. At least she managed to talk Johnny out of the purple and pink version of this costume and convince him of the costume she's wearing now. The one in turquoise and blue and lilac. Those aqua-colors are way more fitting anyway. Both her and the costume.

Nonetheless, she would have preferred Johnny were here with her. Her costume makes only half as much sense without him.

That moment, the elevator stops and the doors open. Cia sighs, straightens her shoulders and marches over to Mike's apartment. If her small steps can be called marching, that is.

After greeting Mike and Nancy, and being complimented on her costume by Nancy while Mike said she should have a look around, before handing her a cocktail, Cia searches the party guests for someone she knows. She's glad when she sets eyes on Ash and Lance a bit in the background. They're both dressed as vampires which is somehow fitting, Cia thinks. With a smile she makes her way over to them.

Ash greets her with a big smile, and Cia, for the first time, realizes that Ash's belly can already be called a baby bump. Ash even contributes to it by having one hand resting on it. If she does it by accident or deliberately, Cia can't tell, but knowing Ash, it must be by accident. Ash isn't someone to show her baby bump around and telling everyone that she's pregnant. From what Johnny told Cia, Ash only told her label when she couldn't hide the fact that she's pregnant any longer.

"Hello, Cia!" Ash greets her, looking her over.

"Nice costume!" Lance tells her.

"Thanks, I like your costumes, too," Cia replies.

Ash smiles at her. "Thanks. Although, gotta admit, I didn't think you'd show up here as a mermaid."

"Yeah," Cia says, fiddling about with her pearl necklace, "it was Johnny's idea. And it would make much more sense if he were here."

"Speaking of Johnny," Ash says, "where is he?"

"The label set up a Halloween-get-together. He'll come here later." And although she knows better she adds, "It's going to be really short."

Ash just nods, as does Lance, and something tells Cia they aren't really buying it. She can't even blame them.

"Soooooo," Cia drawls, trying to change the topic, "anyone figured out what Mike and Nancy are supposed to be?"

She motions into the direction of the two mice, and really, she isn't sure what they are. They are just wearing black and white and grey. She wouldn't even consider this a costume except Mike and Nancy never just wear black and white and grey.

"From what I picked up they are characters from a black-and-white gangster movie," Lance explains.

"Ah, this makes sense," Cia says.

That moment, the door to apartment opens, and Cia immediately turns her head, hoping it might be Johnny and that this time, short actually meant short. That's not the case, though, because Mr. Moon and Eddie enter, the koala dressed up as an astronaut, the sheep wearing a superhero-costume complete with foam muscles. It almost makes Cia laugh.

Then Ash and Lance engage her in a conversation.

After three hours of talking to Ash and Lance and then talking to Rosita and Gunter who showed up in super-glitzy clown-costumes with colorful wigs. She even talked to Mr. Moon for a bit, but now she needs some fresh air.

Lucky for her, the roof terrace is almost empty. Or at least it's big enough to find some peace and quiet out there. With a sigh, Cia sits down on one of the chairs at the balustrade and looks over the skyline of the city. She tries to ignore the fact that she really misses Johnny right now, but it doesn't work. The truth is, she wants him to be here.

"Mind if I join you?" a voice asks, and Cia turns to set eyes on Nancy.

"No, no, go ahead," she says quickly although Cia'd prefer to be alone. And Nancy is probably just trying to be a good host.

The female mouse smiles at her and climbs the chair next to Cia.

"So, are you enjoying the party?" Nancy asks.

"Yes, yes, I am, it's great!" Cia replies, realizing too late that her words are a little too loud and leave her mouth a little too fast.

Nancy realizes, too, of course, and raises a brow. "Really?"

Cia sighs. No need in denying the obvious, right?

"Well, I guess I am just not much of a party animal," she admits.

"I see," Nancy replies.

Cia looks the mouse over, remembering how confident she is when it comes to parties, how much she enjoys being the center of attention, how much she loves to be at Mike's side, adding that little bit of extra to his appearance that makes them the perfect couple at social events. Again, Cia is reminded of how much she envies Nancy for that, how much she would love to be more like her, just a little bit.

"Sometimes, I wish I could be more like you," Cia tells the mouse.

Nancy raises her brow a bit more. "Like me?"

"Yes!" Cia assures her. "You are so comfortable with all of this! And I guess being with the males we are with, that's important!"

Nancy looks at her for a few moments, then shakes her head lightly.

"No," she says. "It's not."

"What?" Cia asks, her eyes wide.

"What is important," Nancy goes on, "is that we love them. I'd normally say I can only speak for myself, but it is so obvious that you and Johnny are deeply in love, that I dare say, that we do love them. And that's what counts. Whether or not you enjoy being at parties is secondary."

"But what if I have to accompany Johnny to some social event and I act weird because I don't feel comfortable? What if don't accompany him at all because I don't like it?"

"You're asking the wrong questions," Nancy says. "Does it matter to Johnny?"

"What?"

"Does it matter to Johnny that you might act weird? Does it matter to Johnny that you'd rather stay at home?"

"I … don't think so," Cia replies, "but-"

Nancy doesn't let her finish.

"Then there is no but," she clarifies. She looks at something - or someone - behind Cia and jumps down from her seat. "I have to go now," Nancy says. "Have fun at the party, Cia! I am sure things are going to look up for you from now on."

Cia doesn't say anything, just watches Nancy leave. Then, all of a sudden, two arms wrap around Cia's body from behind her, two arms she knows so very well, and she gives a little relieved laugh before she turns her head to look at Johnny.

"Hi!" she greets him.

"Hi!" Johnny replies, wrapping his arms a bit tighter around her and resting his chin on her shoulder, pressing his cheek to hers.

"Sorry, this took so long," he adds.

"It's okay," Cia says. She leans into his embrace a bit more before Johnny slowly pulls away.

"Should we get something to drink?" he asks.

"Sounds like a plan!" Cia replies and gets up.

She takes a moment to take in Johnny in his costume. She has to admit, the pirate-clothes fit him, the shirt, the pants, the boots, even the hat that could easily look funny on someone, but not on Johnny. He looks really handsome.

She had her doubts when Johnny came up with the idea to go to the party as pirate and mermaid as some sort of a memory to the time as a kid when he wanted to be a pirate. Okay, she never had any doubt that he'd look good. It was her part, the mermaid-part she'd been worried about. But now as she watches Johnny letting his eyes wander over her form, sending a pleasant prickle over her skin, she's fine with it.

Then she takes Johnny's hand and they start walking back inside. However, her costume makes it hard for Cia to keep up with Johnny's steps. It's the moment Cia starts having doubts again. As much as Johnny seems to love her in her costume, she doesn't like not being able to move around quickly.

"Wait!" she says. "I am not as fast as usual in this!"

Johnny stops and looks at her. Then he shrugs, scoops her up bridal style and carries her inside.

And Cia is fine with her costume again.