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CHAPTER ONE: FACE VALUE ( 03x06: about face )
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"I'M GOING TO EAT you," Reid croaked from behind the garish mask.
Morgan, who hadn't heard him creeping up behind him, flinched so hard he lost track of his paperwork. Dallis, sitting opposite him, snickered into her usual drink of choice; green tea (with a smidge of tequila, whenever she isn't in the office, of course.) She caught Emily's gaze at the desk across from her and smirked. Every year, Reid went all out for Halloween. Every year, Morgan gave a reaction worthy of an Oscar.
"Reid," Morgan muttered his name like he was contemplating strangling him.
They could practically hear Reid's smile as he pushed the mask back from his face, "Happy All Hallow's Eve, folks! To paraphrase from Celtic mythology, tomorrow night, all order is suspended and the barriers between the natural and the supernatural are temporarily removed!"
Emily giggled as he yanked a bloody head from a paper bag and threw it down in front of her. She pushed the prop away from her while Morgan glanced between them, clearly unimpressed.
"See, that right there is why Halloween creeps me out."
"You're scared of Halloween?" Reid frowned.
"I didn't say I was scared."
Dallis blinked. "I'm pretty sure you did."
"No, Cohen," Morgan pointed a finger at her. "I said I was creeped out."
"Aw," Dallis cooed, reaching over to pinch his cheek. Morgan slapped her fingers away, glaring, but Dallis was unphased. She leant back in her chair, blowing the steam away from her bumble-bee themed coffee mug (gifted to her by the one and only Penelope Garcia for her first birthday spent with the team. It was special to her.) "Poor baby Morgan's creeped out by all that goes bump in the night."
"Y'know, there's a difference there, youngsters," Morgan huffed. "You should look it up."
"What creeps you out about it?" Emily asked, genuinely curious to know his answer.
Morgan shrugged. "I don't know. People wearing masks? I don't like folks in disguises."
This clearly dismayed Reid. "But that's the best thing about Halloween! You can be anyone you want to be."
"No, I'm pretty good just being me."
Dallis raised an eyebrow. "This is starting to feel like a therapy session."
Emily smiled. "I don't know what therapists you've been to, but mine don't typically wear masks from horror films and tell me they're going to eat me."
"You know what, though?" Dallis had no doubts about what Morgan was going to say next. His shit-eating smirk said it all. "It does provide a pretty good reason to cosy up with a scary flick and a little Halloween honey."
