“Jay, Jay, Jay!!!” Frankie sang in front of me on the customer side of the counter as he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet.

“Frankie, Frankie, Frankie!!!” I sang back as I made more coffee in the line of coffee makers behind me.

“Guess what, guess what, guess what?” Frankie chirped as I turned around to look at him, a giant shit eating grin gracing his features.

“What, what, what?” I played along, knowing full well what he was getting at. It was only almost his birthday so if we all got reminded only once a day we were pretty lucky.

“It’s Halloween this weekend!” Frankie danced about singing in the main aisle of the diner.

I opened my mouth to say something but never got a chance to say a single word.

“And it’s my biiirthdaaay!!!” Frankie burst out loudly, throwing his arms out to his sides.

I just chuckled and shook my head as I went about refilling people’s coffee wherever they sat, enjoy life even more when I saw them chuckling just as I was at Frankie’s antics. It always made me breathe easier when I saw people react to him this way, the same way I did. I had this strong internal urge to do nothing but protect Frankie from the entire world, even if I knew and had witnessed his ability to take care of himself. Something about the way his eyes sparkled, or the way he grinned so fiercely like he hadn’t a care in the world. It was so innocent and carefree that I wanted to make sure nothing ever tainted that. And while I knew I had nothing to worry about from Reta’s regulars here at the diner I still got a little on edge when Frankie was being himself more than usual. And that was pretty much this ENTIRE month so far. But no one seemed to mind.

“You know you’re not getting a present from me,” I chided as I poured the last refill my pot could do before returning for a new one.

“Awww,” Frankie drawled out, starting to put on the pout.

“Yup. Not a thing. Unless,” I drew out as I switched coffees.

It was funny to watch him squirm as I waited on telling him my ultimatum. I may love the weird bastard, but that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy picking on him too.

“Unless what?’ Frankie bust out like it had been a breathe he had been holding and could hold no longer. I grinned evilly.

“Unless you tell me what you’re wearing for the show and after party,” I randomly threw out there.

“If I revealed my secret identity the world would go to shit!” Frankie exasperated as he threw his hands up in the air. I knew that was going to be the answer, that was his answer every time anyone asked him what his costume was going to be. Didn’t matter that everyone was going to see it the night of the show on Halloween or not, he just never told. But I had been expecting that.

“Well I guess you just don’t want a birthday present from me then,” I rambled off all nonchalantly as I rung up an order for a couple ready to leave.

“But, but, but. Is there another unless I could do?” Frankie pleaded, even going so far as to stick his bottom lip out as he leaned over the top of the front counter batting his eyelashes at me.

“Fine, I guess,” I sighed dramatically as I went to go bring the check to the couple sitting in a booth.

“Have a nice day!” I said happily to the pair sitting at their now cleared table as Frankie dragged his feet behind me, following me like a sad lost puppy. I didn’t open my mouth again until that couple had paid and left, figuring it was plenty long enough to keep him hanging.

“If you don’t pester me one more time asking what my costume is I’ll get you a present for your birthday. Sound like a deal to you?” I asked, sticking out my hand for him to shake grinning the whole time.

“But, but, but,” Frankie sputtered as I lifted an eyebrow at him questioningly.

“Fine, I won’t ask you what your costume is anymore,” Frankie sighed out as he dejectedly shook my hand in agreement.

“Now go, scoot scoot McGoot!” I pushed Frankie towards the door, ushering him out into the real world.

“But,” Frankie started to protest.

“No buts about it! Go. Find something productive and not destructive to do! I’ll see you this weekend and probably tomorrow for breakfast. But go! I have work to do. Go find K.C. or something, just go!” I laughed as I shoved the unwilling Frankie out the glass door of Reta’s. Unwilling that is until I suggested he go find K.C. somewhere.

Mission accomplished I dusted my hands of their metaphorical dust and went back to work, knowing there was still a lot I had to do on my costume before this weekend. I also still had to get a gift for Frankie which was turning out to be harder then I had originally thought.
-xXx-
I opened my front door to the building to let Star and Sheela in when they had texted me that they were outside waiting in the freezing Jersey cold to be let the fuck in by my slow ass. Or so the text read.

“I promise we’ll be there in time to see the show Gerard. I just can’t go with you tonight. I’m getting ready with Sheels and Star and we’ll be over in time I promise!,” I reassured an anxious Gerard on the phone. He had been calling my phone all day wondering when I was going to get there, not seeming to be able to grasp the fact that I wasn’t riding with the guys tonight to the show. I ushered the girls in through the door to shut out the cold draft. Though to be worrying about the cold now was a little late considering what all of our costumes looked like.

“Go ahead up stairs,” I whispered to them as I covered the mouth speaker on my cell phone so Gerard wouldn’t hear me and think I was talking to him.

“Did you pick up that red lingerie you needed?” Star yelled down the stairwell at me.

“Shh!” I hissed loudly at them as I frantically tried to cover the phone.

“Whaaat?” I heard Gerard yell on his end of the phone line.

“Nothing. Pay no attention Gerard. I’ll see you later tonight. Love you. Bye!” I shouted frantically into the phone before slamming it shut and turning to glare up the stairs at Star and Sheela who seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely if the cackling was any indication.

“Evil little sots!” I shouted as I brandished my cell phone like a weapon at them as I climbed the stairs.

“Okay so purposefully bad timing aside it was totally a legit question,” Star said in her defense as I let the two of them into my apartment.

“Uh huh, sure. But yes I did,” I replied, pointing to the white box currently sitting haphazardly on my couch.

“Good, because it’s time to put it on and get this ridiculous party started,” Sheela replied with an evil grin on her face as she closed the door to my apartment and locked it.
-xXx-
“Okay so the deal is to enjoy the entire show with these cloaks on, sealed tight so no one can see our costumes the entire time right?” Star asked from just outside my bathroom door.

“Right,” I heard Sheela respond from somewhere else in my apartment.

I was currently inside my bathroom wiggling, and I mean wiggling, into my costume for the night. I almost felt that asking one of the two outside in the rest of my apartment for a hand in getting it on. But I finally decided against it as I was going to have to go pee at some point tonight so I had better learn how to put it on by myself now. Once I got my arms in the slick sheaths of the vinyl body suit I grinned as I grabbed the zipper and pulled it up as far as it would go. Which isn’t all to far as we made the zipper stop a good inch or so below the middle of my cleavage. It was made so that the ridiculous red bra I was wearing underneath could be showcased in almost ALL of it’s glory. Grinning like a fool I grabbed the ridiculous yet most sexy red pair of boots I had ever seen, also made from vinyl and paten leather, and put them on. I ran a hand down the length of them that ran from my knee down and played with the tiny little flames that we had added to the tops of them. Next I got up and grabbed my elbow length matching flaming red gloves that had matching flames sewn into their tops up by my elbow. Those I’d put on later right before we got there. My hair was done already by Star earlier when we had all been lounging around in bathrobes so as not to mess up our hair and makeup when we put our costumes on by having to take off regular clothing. My hair stood out on end and somehow looked even more as if it was made of real fire, Star really was a genius of her trade. And luckily a whiz with makeup as well since I was almost clueless so that meant she had to do me and Sheela as well for that. Grinning with my gloves in hand I opened the door to my bathroom.

“Ta-DA!” I announced dramatically as I posed for the girls to get a look at.

“Wonderful, wonderful!”

“Spin, spin!” the girls cheered and clapped as I bowed before spinning so they could get the overall effect of the costume I had decided on for this year’s Halloween.

“Oh bravo my little Jay Bird! There are going to be jaws all over the floor tonight!” Sheela exasperated as she continued to clap for me. I bowed in her direction again before breaking into a grin and a fit of laughter as well.

“Now remember girls, we keep out masks in the car until the after party so we don’t give ourselves away. No amount of pleading or begging is to make us reveal our secret selves until our planned entrance at Gerard’s you hear me?” Star asked, giving the two of us the look.

“Sir, yes sir!” Sheela and I both responded simultaneously as we jumped to attention and mocked saluted her.

“Good. Here are your masks. Let’s go show the world and our friends what real super heroes look like,” Star said with a grin as she handed me my red pointed flame detailed mask and handed Sheela her silver gear worked half mask.

“And super villains too!” Sheela cheered as we piled out my apartment and towards Star’s car that was waiting to take us to the guys show at the regular venue about an our away.
-xXx-
“But please? It’s my birthday,” Frankie pleaded as he tugged on the front of my cloak that was currently sealed tight against such unwanted movements.

“I told you Frankie, at the party you will get to see what we look like,” Sheela said as she gave Frankie one of her looks.

“Eep! Fine, fine. But I still want to know what yours is Jay Bird,” Frankie gave in as he jumped behind me as if to once again to hide from Sheela like I was his personal shield.

“Frankie I won’t give you your present if you don’t stop begging and get ready to go on stage already!” I growled at him playfully, smacking him on the ass to send him on his way. It got a good laugh out of the other two girls as he went skipping way, yelping and grabbing his ass where I had hit him.

“I will say this, baby sitting that little puke was worth more than I got paid. But I do so love him now, even if he is a little annoying sometimes,” Sheela said with a grin on her face as she watched Frankie run off to warm up.

“Especially when he’s running around dressed like the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland,” Star added with a chuckle.

“Did you hear that apparently K.C came as the Cheshire Cat without knowing what Frankie was dressing as? I hear he about near fainted when he saw her and has been, excuse the expression, chasing her tail all night,” Sheela whispered with a dance of her eyebrows and a wink of her eye.

Star and I burst into ridiculous giggles at the thought of Frankie chasing K.C.’s tail.

“I also heard that,” Sheela started to whisper again but was cut off,

“Hey,” a voice interjected itself into our little giggle trio group.

“Whoa,” was all I heard from Star as I stood straight and turned to where the voice was that Star was looking at with open eyes and open mouth.

“Whoa,” I mimicked as I got a good look at our speaker.

“You like my costume do you?” the masked hero asked as he came up to me, a grin breaking out from under his half mask. I tried not to laugh as Star and Sheela followed him with not only their eyes but with their entire bodies, turning to watch him walk past them towards me. I don’t think they had a clue who it was, though I knew right off the bat.

“I think I like. Though who can turn down a man in rubber right?” I teased with a grin.

“If that hair is any inkling as to what your costume is I think I might regret the severity of my costume,” Batman said with a smirk as I watched his eyes dart down to my mouth. Aww what the hell, it was Halloween after all right?

“You just might,” I smirked back.

Smirked that is until Batman dipped me back and laid a huge kiss on my lips. After a moment or two I wrapped my arms up around Batman’s neck and kissed back, opening my mouth to allow his tongue in when he softly asked for entrance. Like I had said, it was Halloween after all.

“NO WAY BABIES! Let’s go!” a voice shouted from somewhere off.

Batman smiled as he lifted me back up till I was standing straight and then bowed to both Star and Sheela who looked beyond shocked before walking off towards the shout. I grinned as I turned to face my two very shocked looking friends.

“MIKEY IS BATMAN?!?!” Star and Sheela shouted at me in unison. I simply chuckled as I made my way towards the area where we were going to watch the show from, a smile never leaving my face as I thought of their reactions. Halloween is Halloween

Notes

In case anyone forgot, you owe these chapters to Dark Violet!
;)

NO WAY BABIES!!!. . . Still my favorite line ever.