Red, yellow, and orange leaves drifted through the cool evening air. People headed home, and ran errands as another day came to an end in southern Alabama. Even in Battleship Memorial Park, the routine of Fall was in full swing. Many of the temporary base's personnel had already headed home for the day to their families. Others headed to their lodging at the Battleship Inn. Drum and Lionfish were among them. 

"Whew! It's getting chilly. Isn't this state supposed to be a hell-hole year round?" Lionfish rubbed her arms, fighting the the October chill.

Drum shoved her hands in her armpits, hugging herself. "It gets cold here too, bozo." Her jaw quivered as she fought to keep her teeth from chattering. "God, I wish they would issue us jackets, or something."

Lionfish grunted her agreement, then walked silently for a few minutes. "So, it's Halloween tonight, right?"

"And?" Drum gave the taller girl a sideways look.

"'And' Alabama's throwing a big trick-or-treat thing for a lot of the kids in town. Candy, music, the whole shebang."

"Get to your point, Fish, so i can say it's stupid, then say no."

"And then I talk you into it anyway!" Lionfish slapped her friend on the back.  "But, my point is, there's a *lot* of candy being handed out tonight. What's wrong with us bringing in our share?"

"Massachusetts already said we couldn't take part in anymore of Alabama's partys. Not after what happened on her birthday..."

Lionfish shook her head. "No, no, no. Listen, what we do, is go up into some of the neighborhoods, and do a little trick-or-treating outselves. We don't even need costumes!" Lionfish stopped, and gestured at herself. "We can go as a couple of heroes, and no one will even know its us."

Drum eyed the taller girl. "And you can't do this with Joseph because...?"

"He's back in school again. They let him go back to taking night  classes, since he's National Guard. Besides, even if it was just us, I know you wouldn't let us go out by ourselves~." Lionfish giggled. Who *knows* what trouble we'd get up to." 

"And you can't go by your- you know what. Ok, I'll go to, because I know you'll do something stupid, and need me bail you out." Drum sighed, and checked her watch. "When are we doing this?"

Lionfish pumped her fist in victory. "Just as soon as we get us some chow, and some loot bags. Now com'on, let's see if we can borrow someone's car!" Lionfish hopped off, running the rest of the way to the hotel. 

"Why do we need a car?" Drum called after her.

"To cover more ground, dummy!"

Drum groaned. 
_

Drum stood in the parking lot, tapping her foot. She uncrossed her arms, and checked her watch. Late. Lionfish was *always* late. Drum sighed. The girl was useless. The chilly October wind sent a chill down her spine, and she rubbed her arms to stay warm. Why couldn't they go dressed as people who were warm? Like, an eskimo, or something. Bah! She was a submarine, an American submarine, by God! This cold wouldn't keep her down, and, she had to admit, getting a bunch of candy wouldn't be so bad.

"Drum!"

The pink haired girl jumped, her head swiveling about. The greeting came from two figures approaching, in white. The first was a simple bed sheet, with blonde hair dangling from the bottom. It couldn't be anyone but Alabama, Drum decided. The second was more recognizable as Massachusetts, except instead of her usual uniform, she was in a rather skimpy nurse's costume. Drum arched an eyebrow. That had to be Alabama's doing; no way Massachusetts would dress like  that on her own. 

Drum snapped to attention. "Good evening, ladies."

The sheet ruffled, and Alabama's giggle drifted from behind it. "Oh, sugar, how many times do I gotta tell ya? Don't worry about none of that stuff here!"

Massachusetts shook her head. "Drum, what are you and Lion up to?"

Drum relaxed, slightly. "Candy. Lionfish wants candy. And I have to go, I guess."

Massachusetts looked the subgirl over, and nodded. "Hmm, yes. It's probably good that you do. If she goes by herself, or even Joseph..." She shuddered. "Just, keep her out of trouble, ok?"

Drum nodded. "No worries, ma'am! I can handle her, no problem." She resisted the urge to salute, again. "How's the party going, by the way?"

The sheet fluttered again, as Alabama waved her arms. "Absolutely *marvelous*! The children are havin' a wonderful time!"

Even through the sheet, Drum could see Alabama's smile shining through.

Massachusetts nodded. "It's actually going really well. No complaints, so far." She glanced ag her watch. "Listen, just keep the wildchild out of trouble, and don't stay oit to late. Just, please, again be careful. We need to get back to the party, before Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum ruin things, somehow. We'll see you two later this evening."

The two battleships waved goodbye, and headed back to the festivities. Leaving Drum alone in the parking lot again.
___

"This car smells like a dead cat." Drum cracked the window, letting in some fresh air. "Why did you have to ask Brocheque? His car sucks."

"Because" Lionfish explained. "All I have to do is show some cleavage, and he's eating from the palm of my hand." Lionfish smirked.

"Ugh, you are such a slut." Drum groaned. 

"Am not!" Lionfish exclaimed, in mock defensiveness. "I'm a one woman kinda guy, ya know."

"And I've heard what you do to that guy, too." 

"Someone's jealous~."

Drum grunted, turning her attention to fiddling with the heater. 'Does anything in this damn car work?"

"Oh, stop it. We're nearly at our first stop anyway." Lionfish pulled into a nice looking neighborhood, and parked the car. She checked her watch. "Ok, I figure we stay here for about thirty minutes, before moving on to the next spot." She tossed Drum a plastic pumpkin. "Let's do this." 

Dozens of costumed kids were already moving from door to door. Monsters, witches, doctors, and cowboys roamed the streets. Even tiny versions of different ship girls roamed around. Drum recognized four little destroyers with purple, silver, and brown hair traveling around in a group. She knew they were only costumes, but a shiver ran down her spine, despite herself. Damn destroyers. 

Lionfish led them to the first house. "Ok, I'm going first. Watch and learn, shorty." Lionfish ran a hand through her hair, and wriggled her eyebrows at Drum. 

"Be my guest..." Drum watch the brunette hop up the sidewalk, and stop at the front door. Lionfish seem to try to adjust herself, unzipping her top a few inches and ringing the doorbell before squeezing her cleavage together with her arms. Drum rolled her eyes.

The door opened. "Trick-or-treat!" Lionfish leaned forward, giving the home owner full view down her dive shirt. The older woman in the door way looked down at Lionfish, turned around, and slammed the door. 

Drum collapsed. She laughed uncontrollably, as Lionfish trudged back down the side walk.

"Laugh it up, Pinky. Let's see you do any better." Lionfish grumped.

"O-ok, give me a second." Drum tried to catch her breath. "I need to b-breathe." Several minutes later, she stood in front of the doorway. She pressed the button for the door bell, and held up her bucket. The door opened. "Trick or treat!"

The same elderly woman looked down at Drum. "Oh, another one? Well, are you just the cutest little thing!" She pinched Drum's cheek. "Much cuter than that other hellion who was here earlier! Goodness, what kind of girl shows of that much skin?" Drum struggled to keep a straight face as the woman placed two candy bars into her punpkin. "There you are, dear. That should be a good start for you. Be safe, now!" 

Drum thanked the woman before heading back to the street. She held out her bucket, victorious. 

"Well aren't you soooo cute." Lionfish crossed her arms. "At least she thought I looked like an adult."

Drum's cheeks burned. "She thought you were a whore!"

"Whatev's, we got other houses to hit, let's go."

"Fine, but I'm going first, this time." Drum jogged ahead, and turned into the driveway of the next house. Pausing, she composed herself, and made sure everything was in place. Satisfied, she pushed the doorbell button. The door swung open, and a middle aged woman stepped out.

"Trick-or-treat!"

"Oh my goodness!" The woman covered her mouth with her hand. "You look *just* like that one submarine girl! Honey! Come look!" The woman called back inside the house. "It's another little girl dressed as the pink submarine!"
_

Half an hour later, Drum was counting her take in Brocheque's car. "Not bad, I'd say." She dumped the contents in a larger bag in the back seat.

"Shut up, Pinky. The nights only getting started." Lionfish's meager few pieces of candy laynon the opposite of the seat to Drum's. "It's because you look like you're twelve that you're getting so much."

"No its not! It's because you keep throwing yourself at them when you open the door. These aren't highschool or frat boys, you know."

"Bah, you just like old people pinching your cheeks." Lionfish huffed. Here's our next stop."

Steering the car into another neighborhood, she brought it to a rattling stop on the side of the road.

"Ugh, what a dump. Why are we coming here" Drum looked around at the raggity houses. 

"Brocheque told me they give out good stuff here." She shrugged. "I'm going first again."

Lionfish walked up to the first house on the street. The yard looked like it hadn't been mowed in over a month, and the riding mower sat next to the street without its tires. Cheap Halloween decorations were sporadically placed through out the yard. She was positive, however, all the spider webs were real. She definitely smelled alcohol and reefer, as she walked up the porch, and knocked on the door. Music banged through the entrance as the door swung open. A man with a hagard beard, and beer in his hand, swung out with it. "Trick or treat?" Lionfish held out her bucket, now somewhat unsure of the stop.

"You must be the girls my cuz told me about!" The man hiccupped. 

"Your cousin? Brocheque?"

"Yep! Thass the one!" His words slurred on his tongue. "How's 'bout a trick, lil' lady?" He plopped down into the chair next to the doorway. 

"What?" Lionfish regarded him with a furrowed brow.

The man pulled out a one hundred dollar bill. "I said, how about a trick?" He shoved the bill into the front of his pants, a lecherous grin spreading on his face.

Lionfish looked at him, then to his pants, then to her empty bucket. She opened her mouth, just as the lawnmower flew through the porch window. 

"Jaysus!" Brocheque's cousin screamed, throwing up his hands as shards of glass flew across the wooden deck. Music poured through the open hole in his wall, and several pairs of eyes peered through the opening. 

"Uh, hi?" Lionfish grinned awkwardly. She turned to run, then remembered something important. Grabbing the money from the drunken man, she kicked the legs from under the chair, letting him fall on his back. She took off ad fast as she could back to the car. "Trick or treat, asshole!" She laughed over her shoulder, before sliding over the hood of the car. Drum was already in the passenger seat, buckled up. Seconds later,  they were doing seventy, putting as much distance between the neighborhood and themselves as possible.

"You're welcome, dumbass." Drum re-adjusted her seat.

"What'ya mean? I won that round!" Lionfish held up the one hundred dollar bill, grinning. 

"Oh my god..."
_

Brocheque's car came to a rattled stop in the hotel parking lot. "Whew! Not bad, for a nights work." Lionfish gestured to the pile of candy filled sacks in the backseat. "We'll split it fifty-fifty when we get back inside."

"Split? Fifty-fifty? What the hell are you talking about, sister? *I* hauled in most of this." 

"Yeah, cause you look like a kid." Lionfish shrugged. "And I'm the one who worked 'em up for you. And I drove us around. So as I see it, fifty-fifty."

Drum's cheeks flushed bright red at the kid remark. "You're a real piece of work, you know it." She huffed. "One, I *don't* look like a kid. Two, I saved that fat ass of yours tonight. Do you even have shame? Good god, woman!"

"One, you *totally* look like a kid." Lionfish began pulling bags of candy from the car. "I give ya a sucker, and you look like one of those little girls from those black and white Japanese comics you like." Drum sputtered, but Lionfish continued. "And two, my ass didn't need saving. I could've handled that hairy punk's ass myself. The lawnmower was a fun touch, though." 

"Why are you going through my stuff!?" Drum yelled as she grabbed the rest of the bags. "How many times to do I have to tell you that!?" 

"Hide it better!" Lionfish laughed over her shoulder, stopping in front of their door, and unlocking it. "Some of that stuff is kind of kinky. You mind if I borroHURK!"

Drum tackled Lionfish through the door, scattering candy across the room.
_

Joseph stepped out of his pick-up truck, and stretched. Night classes, added to Guard activities were really starting to wear him down. He started down the sidewalk, heading towards Lionfish and Drum's room. He smiled, despite his exhaustion. At least he would be able to see if Lionfish had a fun night, before heading home. A short walk later, and he was standing before her door. He knocked. No answer. Joseph's brow furrowed in concern. They should have been home almost half an hour ago. He knocked again, placing his ear against the door. Muffled voices sounded through the wood. It definitely *sounded* like Drum and Lionfish. And it sounded like they were fighting. Again. Joseph sighed, and knocked. More shuffling, and more voices. The door cracked, just enough for a blue eye to show. "Drum?" Joseph tried to peak inside. "Where's Lionfish? Can I come in?" Drum's eye disappeared for a second, then reappeared. "Gimme a minute." The door slammed shut. "Oooh kay?"

Minutes later, and the door finally opened again. Drum peered from behind it. Joseph immediately noticed her disheveled hair, and uniform. "Are you alright? Have you too been fighting again?" He looked around the room concerned. The beds were a mess, and the chairs and small table were over turned. At least one lamp had been smashed. At least it didn't look as bad as last time. That was a relief... 

"Where's Lionfish?" He asked again. 

Drum motioned towards the bathroom. "Your slut's in there. Go on in." She grumbled.

"Um, thanks?" Joseph stepped over a broken chair. He opened the door to the small bathroom, revealing Lionfish tied up in the bathtub. Her mouth was gagged with a giant sucker. "What the hell? What are you two fighting about this time?" He jumped to her side, and tried to untie the knots.

"She was being a bitch, again." Drum appeared behind him. 

Joseph jumped, startled. "What?" The dull look in her eyes made him uneasy.

"Do me and favor, and try to work the bitchiness out of her. See you two in the morning" She slammed the bathroom door, and jammed the last unbroken chair under the handle. "And tell her I'm not covering her dumb anymore!" She yelled through the door.

Joseph looked at his bound-up girlfriend. "What did you do?"  Lionfish rolled her eyes, and shrugged. Joseph slumped back against the door. It was going to be another long night.