A fic

[uberniftacular]

That I really thought I'd posted somewhere before. But. Halloween fic.

Title: All Hallows
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Characters/pairing: Gen, Reid-centric
Rating: G
Summary: Halloween at the Hotchner household
Warnings: none
Author's notes:  Part of a fic universe language_escapes  and I have been working on for a while, the premise of which is that all the younger team members are foster kids being raised by Hotch and Gideon (or, later, Rossi).  We haven't actually posted anything from this 'verse before, but I felt like today was a good time to post this one.  Originally a birthday fic for language_escapes.

Spencer’s birthday has never been a calm affair, and this year is no exception.  For several weeks leading up to the event, everyone in the household pitches in to get all the decorations up in time.  Spencer stands on a chair in the middle of the flurry of action, imperiously directing his siblings as to where each pumpkin, bat, and piece of web should go.  The older kids play along, grinning at each other when the almost-nine-year-old decides that a particular bat dangling from the ceiling should hang a couple inches lower, or that one corner of the room definitely needs more web.

 

When Spencer isn’t directing the decorating process, he’s shut in his room, working on his costume.  He’s already blown most of last month’s allowance at Salvation Army, where Dad has taken him no fewer than three times in two weeks.  The bits and pieces are slowly coming together into what might be the best costume yet, though of course he has no way to objectively judge until the costume is complete.

 

Spencer isn’t the only one who’s been hard at work on a secret project, however.  Most of the siblings are already finished buying or making their presents for Spencer, but Penelope is still furtively working away at hers.  She’s gotten a lot more skilled since the first thing she ever made for Elle, but the pattern is more difficult on this.  And she wants it to be perfect for her baby brother.  She finally finishes it two days before the party, wrapping it in the Sunday comics and stashing it amongst the fake pumpkins along with all the other gifts.

 

When the big day arrives, Spencer is practically vibrating with excitement.  Several of his classes have small celebrations, but he hasn’t been allowed to wear a costume to school in years (one of the unfortunate side effects of being a freshman already).  Elle collects him and Derek right after school lets out, and by the time they make it out of the ever-present crush of cars, students eager to get out of school and make some mischief, Dad has arrived home with Jenny, Penelope, and Emily.  Mom, who has managed to get a rare day off from work, greets them all at the door with a decree to do their homework before the party can get started, which is met with groans all around.  Spencer finishes his within ten minutes, and bounces around the house waiting for everyone else to finish theirs.  Finally, Mom comes around to check on everyone’s progress, and gives the order that Spencer has been waiting for all day: Costumes!  Spencer waits until Derek has changed and left before starting to get into his own costume.  The bandages take a while to put on and secure, so that by the time he’s fully dressed, he’s confident that the rest of the family is already garbed and waiting downstairs for him.

 

When Spencer reaches the top of the stairs, he sees the whole family gathered at the bottom, watching expectantly for him.  He surveys their costumes with a grin, which he belatedly realizes they probably can’t see behind the bandages on his face.  Derek is dressed as a pirate, Jenny is wearing a poodle skirt, Emily has made herself into what Spencer swears must be Puss-in-Boots.  Elle appears to be Zorro, complete with a drawn-on moustache.  Spencer isn’t entirely sure what Penelope is supposed to be, but it involves feathers, glittery butterflies, and about a dozen colorful scarves.  Mom is wearing a tux that Spencer knows he’s had for a while, and has turned it into a costume by adding a top hat and mask.  Spencer’s grin widens when he lays eyes on Dad, who has somehow managed to construct a magnificent Sherlock Holmes costume, complete with a pipe.

 

The family applauds as Spencer begins to strut down the stairs.  He’s garbed in full Victorian gear: waistcoat with matching trousers (with mismatched socks poking out: one purple, one black and orange striped), long coat, gloves, and a fantastic black top hat that would be too big for his head if his face weren’t completely bandaged; his glasses have been wedged onto his face outside the bandages.  He’s grateful for the fancy cane in his hand as he walks down the stairs: the bandages greatly diminish his peripheral vision, and he’d really prefer to not fall down the stairs.  At the bottom of the stairs, there are hugs all around; a brief guessing game ensues to figure out what Spencer is supposed to be, before Emily correctly identifies him as the Invisible Man.

 

Before the festivities can begin, there is the usual round of Polaroid photos to commemorate this year’s fantastic batch of costumes.  Next comes dinner, then the cake Mom made (pumpkin, of course, with cream cheese frosting decorated for the holiday); Spencer rather sheepishly unwraps the lower half of his face bandages in order to be able to eat.  Next is the yearly watching of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” at which Derek and Elle groan, though everyone knows they secretly love it.

 

When it comes time for presents, Spencer sits in Dad’s recliner in the living room, as is his privilege as the birthday boy.  One by one, everyone brings him their presents.  He receives books from Emily and Elle.  Jenny and Derek each get him a couple of jazz cassettes.  Dad and Mom give him an antique pocket watch, which he promptly tucks into the pocket of his waistcoat.  Finally, Penelope brings out her present.  Spencer grins at the comic wrapping paper, taking a moment to read all the comics before he opens the gift.  As he tears into one end, a purple yarn tassel dangles out, prompting a somewhat confused head tilt as he opens the gift down the middle seam of the paper.  Once he’s worked it free of the paper, he sees that it’s a patterned purple scarf.  Penelope promptly grabs it out of his hands and wraps it around his neck a couple times, whispering in his ear in the process, “I made it myself.  You’re so skinny, you always look like you’re freezing to death.  And it looks great with your costume tonight too.  Hope you like it!”  Spencer responds with a hug and a grin that she can hear through the bandages on his face: “I love it, sis!”