SUMMARY: David gets sick on Halloween and can't go trick-or-treating
RATING: G/PG
Written for redisourcolor Challenge 11 pm LJ - Theme: Costumes; tissue paper, flying, silvery, 'Agrh, somebody get this thing off me!'

"I hate being sick," David moaned as his mother looked at the thermometer she had just removed from his mouth.

"Well, sorry mate, you're not going anywhere tonight. You're running a fever, so in bed is where you'll be."

"Its not faiiiiiiiiir," the young boy wailed. "Captain Jack and Uncle Ianto promised they'd take me trick-or-treating."

Rhiannon sighed. She knew David had been very excited about going out with Jack and Ianto that night, but she really didn't think it was such a good idea. So she did what every mother would do. She soothed David as best she could and then called Ianto.

"Listen love, it's a no-go tonight. David's been running a fever for the last few hours, and given its damp and rainy, I'm afraid he'll get worse if he goes out."

Ianto listened sympathetically. As he did, Jack was practically bouncing around with excitement about that evening's trick-or-treating fun.

"Jack, bad news," Ianto told him as he hung up the phone. "David's taken sick, so we're not going out tonight."

"What? You can't be serious. I got a costume and everything." Jack was putting on his best pout for Ianto.

"Well, I got a costume too, but I'm not taking David out in this type of weather. If he gets sicker, Rhi will kill us."

Jack pouted some more. Ianto just looked at him, raised an eyebrow and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Jack shouted, "I have an idea."

Ianto turned back and rolled his eyes.

"No listen…"

It was seven in the evening. The Davies family was watching the television in the lounge. Mica was playing with her toy peteranodon on the carpet while David sat bundled in a blanket between his mother and father. He had insisted on putting his Superman costume on and now he was sulking; the news on ITV wasn't helping.

"Well, it's a cold and rainy night in Cardiff, but that's not stopping little ghouls and goblins from hitting the neighborhood streets. The American tradition of trick-or-treating has been growing in popularity inCardiff these last few years..."

"Nyah, nyah, looks like Stupidman isn't getting to go out," Mica teased.

"Oi, you shut up or I'll..." David started to say but was interrupted by the door bell ringing.

Rhi got up to answer the door wondering who could be visiting at such a late hour. She opened the front door and jumped back at seeing the frightening sight.

"Hey, did I hear about some sick boy who can't go trick-or-treating tonight?" the first person yelled as he walked into the house. Several other frightening figures also followed him into the house. Rhiannon rolled her eyes in classic Jones fashion and led the way to the lounge.

David turned and looked with horror at the group of strangers entering the room. He suddenly realized that the lead person was Captain Jack.

"Oi, what have you got on there Captain, its, so…so...sparkly."

"I'll have you know that this is an authentic imitation of Liberace's favorite suit," Jack said turning around to display himself in all his silvery sequinned glory.

Johnny snorted. "Well its bright, I'll give you that."

Next was a young attractive Asian woman. She had a red colored box with a white ribbon around her torso and legs with just her head, feet and arms sticking out.

Mica squealed, "She's a birthday present, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes I am," Tosh replied pulling out some tissue paper that was scratching against her neck."

Next in line was a scowly man, dressed like a vampire. Both Mica and David were a little terrified at his fangs dripping in blood. "Um a scerry, scerry vamper," he said. Owen's fangs were making it very hard to speak.

"I'm terrified," David snarked.

Owen removed the fangs. "Oi, you will be, once I get a hold of you," he yelled as he pretended to try to catch David in his cape. David ran from him pretending to be frightened. "You'll never catch me, Dracula; I'm faster than a speeding bullet."

Mica screamed with delight, "get him Count Dracula, he's been a grouch all day."

"A grouch all day," a falsetto voice said from the doorway. "Well ah nevah."

Mica's mouth fell open. David didn't know whether to be frightened or laugh. Rhiannon laughed. Johnny spit out the mouthful of beer he was about to swallow. It was Scarlett O'Hara. Actually, it was Uncle Ianto dressed as Scarlett O'Hara. Hoop skirt, black long-haired wig, parasol and heels, the works.

"Fiddle-de-de," Ianto said as he stumbled into the lounge in his heels. His parasol went flying across the room. "Ah brought some candies for some good kiddies. But if there aren't any here, ah'll come back some other time, cause tomorrow is another day."

David knew he'd get in trouble, but he couldn't help it, he had to say it. "Frankly, my dear Uncle Ianto, I don't give a da…"

"OI!" Johnny and Rhiannon yelled in unison. "No swearing in this house," Rhiannon scolded.

"That's the worst fake Southern American accent I think I've ever heard," Johnny snarked.

"Oh my, ah have always relied on the help of kind strangers," Ianto replied as he grabbed onto Johnny to keep from falling. And then dropping into his regular baritone, Ianto said, "Argh, somebody, get this thing off me! This corset is so tight, I can't breathe."

As Jack went to Ianto's aid, Owen laughed. "You can undress him later, in private. Let his sister do it."

Rhiannon motioned to Ianto and they went into the kitchen where she helped him out of the bra top and falsies he was wearing.

Everyone laughed when Rhi came out of the kitchen twirling the bra over her head.

Ianto followed her out a few minutes later, his dress askew exposing the top of his hairy chest. "Oh dear, ah seem to have lost a few bits of me."

"My Scarlett, what a nice fuzzy chest you have. Not to mention the stuffed bra," Tosh teased.

"Ah'll give you stuffed," Ianto retorted pulling several pieces of tissue paper out of her box and putting them on top of her head.

"Alright, that's enough then," Rhiannon ordered in her 'mommy' voice. Everyone fell silent. "Now if Liberace would care to help me in the kitchen for a few moments, we'll get some snacks and drinks, while Johnny gets some games out."

The rest of the night was spent eating the Halloween candy Jack had brought, playing Swansea monopoly and teasing each other about their costumes. Of course Rhiannon wanted to take a picture of everyone which was fine until Jack pointed out that Scarlett had lost her top. "Pull that up, I don't want you to look like a women of ill repute in the photo."

Ianto pulled the top of the dress up a bit and smiled coyly for the camera.

After the Torchwood visitors had left, Rhiannon and Johnny got Mica and David ready for bed. "Now wasn't that nice of your Uncle and Captain Jack to go through all that trouble for you?"

"Yeah, real nice. Cor, could you imagine what my friends would have said if they'd seen me tricker-treatin' with the rhinestone cowboy and miss big skirt. I never would have lived it down, 'specially since I told everyone that they were secret agents."

"Well, you could have told them they were dressed up for a stake-out or something."

"Yeah right, that would have worked," David groused.

"You know, your Uncle and Captain Jack and Owen and Tosh really do have very dangerous jobs. I bet they don't get to let their hair down very often. So really, maybe it's you who did the favor for them tonight."

David considered that for a moment. "Nah, I'm just glad none of the other kids saw them."

Rhiannon tucked David into bed, gave him a kiss and turned off the lights. "Sleep tight, see you in the morning."

Rhiannon smiled as she went back into the lounge. "Mica in bed?" she asked Johnny.

"Yeah, she was tired out from all the excitement. You know that was nice of your brother to dress up and bring his friends over here to cheer up David."

Rhiannon laughed and told him what David had said about their costumes.

Johnny began to laugh as well. "Guess we probably shouldn't tell him that after they left all the kids in the neighborhood were gathered around their SUV while they passed out candy and posed for more pictures."

"Oi, he's going to hear about that for sure."

"Yeah," Johnny replied with some satisfaction, "that will be fun."