[Note: This is a follow up that happens after the events from "My Friend Loki: The Price You Pay." Read it first, then return to this moment for better understanding.]

It had been quite some time since Loki and I had ventured to our favourite cafe. Being immersed in such an environment actually felt good, almost like old times for us, but different - in a good way.

After acquiring our beverages - a spiced pumpkin latte for me, a green tea for Loki - we sat down at a table in a quiet corner.

"So, you have a request?" I asked with a smile, taking a good sip of my latte, enjoying the flavour.

"Yes," Loki replied, returning my smile, then took a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and presented it to me, "there's an event coming up at the end of the month, and it would be quite lovely if you were able to accompany me."

I looked at the piece of paper, it was a memo from SHIELD regarding the Initiative in which Loki was a member. They were hosting a Hallowe'en party/mixer at a public location, and members were allowed to bring dates and significant others - provided they had been previously vetted.

Looking up from the paper, I grinned, "Thank you. I'd love to go." Then I touched his arm, "Do you have a costume in mind? I'll have to figure out something as well."

"Costume?" Loki looked at me, confused.

"Did you not have some occasion on Asgard that required you to dress up in a costume, to conceal your identity for fun? Aside from the shapeshifting, that is."

"While we had many special events," Loki said, "they were more about wearing finery, although some of them did require the accessory of an elegant mask. We did have this one occasion, though. It's hard to explain, but it seems ale was consumed in mass quantities..." he shook his head, "Beverlee, I think you're going to have to tell me more about this Hallowe'en."

"No problem," I said, moving my chair to sit closer to him, then pulling out my smartphone to call up some information. I explained to him about its humble origins, then we began to discuss the occasion's traditions and customs.

"This Hallowe'en seems very droll," Loki said, "could we... somehow partake in these activities before the party?"

"I thought you'd never ask." I smiled at him warmly, "There's also one more thing you need to know about, something that's right up your alley," leaning in closer to him, I spoke quietly, "the night before is called..." then paused for effect, "Mischief Night."

Loki's lips deliciously curved into a mischievous smile.

*****

After work, on October 30th, Loki came over to my place, and we prepared for our Mischief Night. Days before, I had done some shopping to get the supplies we needed.

But first, I had one Hallowe'en tradition planned for us to do.

"You got pumpkins!" Loki exclaimed, seeing two large orange gourds sitting on the dining room table.

"I did. This is going to get messy," I said, "but it will be worth the effort." I handed him an apron, and I put on one myself, "did you ever do any fruit carving on Asgard?"

"Nothing to this degree," my friend replied, tying his apron, "usually if something like this was required for a special event, my mother would have requested the servants in the palace to take care of such things," he looked at me with a contrite expression, "although... I have some experience carving on trees."

I decided not to clarify whether his expression came from feeling bad about carving on the tree itself or what he carved on the tree, it sounded like a story for another time. Instead, I gave him a sympathetic look.

"Now I'm not exactly a novice at doing this," I said, "but it's been some time. No matter how these turn out, I'll be placing some battery operated tealights in them to put on the doorstep tomorrow."

Between the two pumpkins - for easier access - I had placed an assortment of instruments we would need to use for the procedure of creating our 'Jack-O-Lanterns.' I picked up a sharp knife and carefully handed it to Loki.

"Oh, I like this occasion," he said quietly, taking the knife from me, then looked at the pumpkin with uncertainty, "where do we start?"

****

Despite our lack of real experience, it certainly didn't stop us from enjoying the moment of carving these pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns. It was a somewhat messy activity, but all in all, it was well worth it. I felt our Jack-O-Lanterns turned out pretty good, both of them sporting nefarious smiles. However, I wasn't surprised to see that Loki's had more of a professional look to it, as he had better skills with a knife.

(Photo from gckinsey on Deviant Art)

We had placed the pumpkin pulp and seeds in a deep bowl and set it aside as we partook in our carving. Once we cleaned up from our 'crafting,' I had Loki join me in the kitchen to talk, sitting on a stool by the kitchen counter as I began to prep for extracting the pumpkin seeds. I put the bowl in the sink and turned on the tap, rinsing the pulp and the seeds. I picked out the large pieces of pulp and the stringy bits and put them aside in another bowl.

"Did you decide on a costume?" I asked Loki, now filling the bowl with water. It would take time, but with the pulp mostly removed, the majority of seeds would soon rise to the top, and the remaining pulp would sink.

"Yes," he said, "I hope it's not too macabre for the party."

"Well, where does your inspiration derive from?"

"As you know, I'm fond of reading," he said, "the SHIELD facility's library had a display with some classic Hallowe'en themed books and one of them took my fancy."

"Well, if it's a classic, I can't see why it wouldn't be appropriate," I opened up the fridge and stared at the shelves, wondering what to make us for supper, "I'm really looking forward to seeing what you've chosen tomorrow."

"I take it you already have your costume ready?" Loki asked.

"Yep," I replied, "it's also inspired by a classic book. I think you're really going to like it," I pulled out some vegetables from the crisper, deciding to make a stir-fry.

"Oh, I already know I'm going to like it," he smiled at me, "you'll be wearing it."

"Oh, you!" I mock-chided, moving over to him, "flattery will get you..." and pulled him into a hug. As we held each other, I was close enough to the area of the counter to pull a vegetable knife out of the block.

Loki must have sensed something, which I wasn't surprised as I had made no effort to conceal my action. He carefully released the hug, then asked quietly, staring at the knife in my hand, "Is... that for me?"

"Yes," I said, proffering the knife. "We're going to have stir-fry for supper. I'll need your help with cutting the vegetables."

"Beverlee..." Loki said, in an incredulous tone, "I get to work with sharp objects twice in one day?" He smiled with glee, taking the knife from me, then with his other hand reached up to caress my cheek, whispering, "the anticipation of what you have planned for us later this evening... well, it's got me rather excited."

"Likewise," I said softly, trembling a little, "I'm... not quite experienced in this arena... I'm a little nervous, but under your... instruction, I'm very eager."

"I'm equally eager to... instruct you."

We looked at each other for a moment, for how long I cannot say.

"Come on," I said, breaking the silence, "we're going to need a lot of energy for this, and those vegetables aren't going to cut themselves."

****

By the time Loki and I had finished supper and cleaned up, it finally was dark outside. Putting supplies in a backpack, and both of us suiting up in outerwear designed for cold weather, we were ready to go. With his magic, Loki made both of us invisible so we could walk unnoticed down my block to first check out the area, to discover what opportunities it held for us.

Where I lived, it was a street that was quiet and safe, bordering on boring - which, on a daily basis, was just fine by me.

However, now seeing this environment from a different perspective, and the person with me encouraging this... I began to see so many possibilities.

"I think we have enough supplies for our needs," I said after we finished surveying the area. We had returned to my backyard, both now visible to each other, and sat on the sectional couch on the patio.

"I concur. It's a small block, but it's a perfect test ground for me to teach you the basics."

"Loki, I'm nervous about doing this..." I whispered.

"But after you do it, you won't be anymore." He put a hand on my shoulder, "my clever girl, consider this a gentle initiation into the art. If you don't enjoy what we do tonight, I promise to never bring up the topic again."

I thought for a moment, then slowly nodded, "Deal."

Loki reached out and tenderly grasped my upper arms, "Don't worry, like your Passover, for you, I'll make this yet another night different from all other nights."

****

It was now much later in the evening, with a perfect shade of darkness outside.

Time to make our move.

Again, under the cover of invisibility, Loki and I made our way down the block, every other house getting a taste of our brand of mischief. We decided to not do every house because we had to leave some ambiguity of who could be the considered a culprit to perpetrate such pranks.

A lone car was parked on a far end of the street. I carefully put a note under the windshield wiper, stating, "sorry, I hit your car."

Those that had open access driveways, with a can of shaving cream I drew a large heart on their concrete paths.

We soaped some garage doors with the words "Have a nice day." Loki also used his powers of telekinesis to soap the higher windows of some homes with the same message.

At a few houses, some boasted lovely gardens. For these, they got special 'lawn care.' Pulling out a box of orange-coloured plastic forks from the backpack, I spilled the contents on the grass. Loki would magically make the forks lift off the ground, swirl around for a moment, then each fork would plant itself in the ground in a triangular spacing pattern.

Our final task for the night, to make sure I wasn't suspected of being behind these pranks, was enveloping my vehicle with plastic wrap - which Loki did effortlessly - as he did with the forks.

When we got back into the house - and making sure the lights remained off - my heart was pounding. I was also trembling from the rush of what we had just done. It was euphoric, yet also empowering.

"Beverlee, are you okay?" Loki asked as he saw my odd expression.

"I don't know," I said, trying to think, but finding it hard to do so, "I-I don't know."

My friend took me by the hand, led us to the couch in the living room, and we sat. He then pulled me into his arms. My arms immediately followed suit.

"I'm so proud of you," he said, gently stroking my back, attempting to calm me, "my clever girl has now become an 'Apprentice of Mischief.'"

"'Apprentice of Mischief?'" I said, holding Loki closer, "I like how that sounds. You were right, Loki. It was another night different from all other nights... Is it wrong of me to say that I actually enjoyed it?"

Loki released the hug a little so we could look at each other.

"Welcome to my world, Beverlee," he whispered with a mischievous grin.

****

I was glad I had booked the day off from work. It felt good to sleep in, as I didn't realize how tired I was after last night's activities.

However, I suddenly heard desperate knocking at my bedroom door.

Usually, Loki would wait for me to get up... something was wrong.

I sprang out of bed, put on my slippers and robe, then opened the door.

"Someone is knocking at your door," Loki said quickly, "you can't let them know I'm here..."

"Easy," I said, my heart starting to pound, "we knew this might happen. Don't worry, I won't let them find you. You should be safe in here, but just in case, make yourself invisible."

Loki nodded. I let him inside my bedroom and I shut the door behind me.

I could now hear the knocking as I walked over to my front door. Upon opening it, I was shocked to find a male police officer standing on the doorstep. Not only was my heart pounding, but I was now finding it hard to breathe.

"Good morning, ma'am. Sorry to trouble you this morning, but we've gotten several reports from people on your block that their properties were subject to public mischief."

"Really?" I said shocked, "That's horrible!"

"Yes, it is," the officer agreed, "we are aware that yesterday was Gate Night, but we've never before had such incidents ever reported in this area," he looked at me directly, "was your property subjected as well?"

"I don't know, I just woke up," I replied, with a yawn.

"May we check the exterior of your home?"

"Of course," I said, "can you tell me what kind of incidents?"

"Nothing major, but enough to cause frustration and annoyance."

"I see," I nodded, "you can enter the backyard on the left. I'll meet you in a moment."

I didn't know my neighbours very well, but with our recon last night, we carefully checked for any hidden cameras on the properties. No one could have seen us. Plus, we made sure to pitch the remnants of our actions into a bin that was more than a few blocks away from my street, whose garbage pickup was earlier this morning. In addition, I made sure to clear the dishes and have the dishwasher run, just in case the officer wanted to enter my home.

"Ma'am, it looks like your vehicle has been subjected."

"GEEZ!" I said with surprise and frustration, "What the hell... How on earth did they even do that?!" I walked closer to my vehicle, "this is horrible!" I turned to the officer, "could I get some help removing this?"

"I'll see what my fellow officers can do, ma'am."

I was as polite as I possibly could be toward the cops as they carefully cut and removed the plastic wrap from my vehicle. I offered them coffee, which they refused as one of them took a statement from me. There wasn't a heck of a lot of information I could give, but it was enough for a legit alibi. I mean, I had no idea who would want to play such a prank on me or prank me at all. And as everyone on the street had friends who visited, with so many names to potentially investigate, it would be a Herculean effort to delve in that area. Frankly, it could have been anyone.

Since the public mischief had not caused major damage, I suspected this case would be a low priority - just one of those things that happens the day before Hallowe'en.

Eventually, the cops took their leave.

Standing in the living room, I called out for Loki to reappear.

From behind, I felt his arms come around my waist.

I smiled.

Lifting me up in his arms, he carefully sat me on the couch, then joined me. He gazed at me with a warm smile.

"What a beautiful performance, Beverlee. What did it feel like being my Apprentice to Mischief?" Loki said softly, his other hand reached to caress my cheek.

"Blessed." I said, leaning in closer, "you... instructed me well."

"I hope you will allow me to instruct you in more areas... as becomes necessary."

"Of course," I said with a coy smile, taking his hand, "this apprentice is very eager to learn from you..."

Now, this wasn't me turning to a dark side like in some science-fiction film. Loki had simply shown me, more or less, a glimpse of that path. And it was a great gift. He didn't do this to change who I was, it was simply to understand him more... and I had to admit, being a trickster for the night, was a real treat.

Aside from that, Loki had rigged it so that all the mischievous pranks we had carried out would reverse themselves at the stroke of noon. It was another trick, but more kind... and would leave everyone on my block with yet more mystery!

****

"So, what else can we do to keep in the tradition of Hallowe'en, Beverlee?" Loki asked.

It was still early in the day, and since there wasn't much that had to be done to prepare for this evening's activities, I thought for a moment on what we could do...

"Let's take a short break from Hallowe'en, my friend," I said, "what do you say we go out for breakfast and take a jaunt through the country?"

"I would like that very much," Loki replied.

After getting refreshed and dressed, we left my domicile and got into my vehicle.

"I haven't had much experience in such vehicles," Loki said, clicking the metal tongue into the buckle of the seat belt. "I must say the seating is rather comfortable, and I like the onboard display. Is it hard to pilot?"

"You mean drive?" I replied, "Well, it depends on the person. On Midgard we need to earn our licence by taking a driver's education course and then take a written test followed by a road test." I looked at my friend sheepishly, "I had to take my road test about four times before I passed." I shrugged, "I simply lacked confidence."

"I understand," Loki said, "it also took me much time to master my piloting skills on Asgard. Then I found my motivation - I was determined to be a better pilot than Thor."

I chuckled, "I bet you succeeded too."

Loki simply shrugged at me with a smile.

And with that, we were on our way.

Our timing couldn't have been better - it was a weekday and the traffic was light.

We got some takeout from a popular fast food place, then returned to the road. Carefully, we ate our breakfast, especially myself, as I did not want some cop to pull me over for distracted driving. I already had more than my share of police officers this morning.

It didn't take us long to get on the highway and head to our destination - Bird's Hill Provincial Park.

"Beverlee, this 'trick-or-treating' ritual custom," Loki said, "could you tell me more about it?"

"What would you like to know?" I replied, "it's something I suspect only we on Midgard do, and we've been doing it for... well, from what I understand, centuries."

"If you could walk me through the procedure, along with the etiquette and protocols?"

"Sure," I said, with some amusement, "it's really easy. Kids get dressed up in a favourite costume, a parent or guardian accompanies them as a chaperone, and they travel from house-to-house on their block of the street. Some do more than one block. The kids ask for treats speaking the phrase, 'trick-or-treat.' Sometimes, I even hear the phrase, 'Halloween apples.' Once the phrase is said, the homeowner opens their door to give them a treat, which is usually some kind of candy."

"I see. So, it's a festive way of getting to know your neighbours?"

"Well, sort of, but not exactly," I said, now thinking while I spoke, "we Midgardians live in such a fashion that we might get to know those who live in the houses next door to us, maybe even across the street, but rarely do we get to know all our neighbours on the block."

"Is it compulsory for all neighbours on the block to participate in this occasion?"

"No, not at all. Some are not keen on the occasion and will take steps to make sure trick-or-treaters will bypass their home. Which sometimes might subject them to tricks. And there are others for certain reason who will just leave a bucket with candy on their doorstep with a sign saying 'take one.'"

"I see... I find this concept both intriguing and admittedly... fearful if I were a child."

"Fearful?" I asked with concern. "How so?"

"To be at a very young age, and not know who is on the other side of the door... always expecting a treat, but what if the homeowner instead plays a trick?"

"Good point," I said, "but kids on Midgard are pretty resilient, Loki. I mean it's a time when you're supposed to find the fun in being scared. Understandably, though, it's not for everyone."

"Have there not been cases of homeowners doing unfavourable things to these canvassers during this occasion?"

"I'm... sure there are, but we never really hear anything about them." I found Loki's concern for children very touching, "However, this is not the only way children can get candy on this occasion."

"Oh?"

"If families live in rural areas, or for some reason going door to door is not feasible, events are hosted by shopping malls, community centres, and educational facilities so children can have a similar experience in a safe environment for the evening. Some families will even host parties in their own homes so as to not miss out on the fun."

"It gladdens me there are other options available," Loki said. "So just to confirm, we'll be doing the door-to-door option, waiting for the kids to say the magic words for us to open the door, then reward them with a candy treat?"

"That's essentially it, yes."

"If you don't mind, Beverlee, would we be able to modify how we perform this tradition?"

"Modify?" I was curious. "If you can think of a better way, I'm willing to give it a try."

Loki told me his suggestion. It was a great idea, but I was a little worried because of how it would have to be performed. However, because I had a 'master of illusion' as my friend, my concerns quickly disappeared. I looked forward to carrying out this new 'arrangement' when we returned back to my place.

We then arrived at Birds Hill National Park.

This park was one of my favourite places to go when I needed to relax. In the summer, I loved how a simple breeze through the trees made the leaves shimmer in the daylight. As we were now within the season of fall, the leaves had turned from green to various shades of auburn, orange, and gold. I drove down the main path, and for a while, we just enjoyed looking at the trees, like they were one large artwork, the colourful leaves all blending in with each other.

And then I stopped and parked the vehicle on the side of the path, where there was a large field.

I looked at Loki, "Although it's cool outside, I think we dressed well for it. This may sound silly, but since we've been chatting about children, I'm feeling young at heart and in a mood to play catch. I've got a ball in the trunk. Care to indulge me?"

"Of course!" Loki said with a smile, "I would enjoy that. Perhaps afterward, you can indulge me, and I can show you some more self-defence moves?"

"Deal!" I said.

In truth, it was cooler than I thought outside, but what we had on for outdoor wear, along with our bodies in motion, we were able to stay warm.

Tossing the ball back and forth to each other was so much fun! At the start, we dropped the ball a few times, but as we kept going, our tosses and catches got better.

Then we invented a game with some odd rules trying to keep away from each other to get the ball to a certain point on the field, the only way to stop one from doing so was to somehow steal the ball or tackle each other.

Sadly, the possibility of tackling Loki seemed near impossible, although I did have one moment where I knocked him down by getting ahold of one of his legs. It was also amusing at one point where I was close to stealing the ball from him, but instead, he pulled me onto his back for a piggyback ride! During my turn to have the ball, Loki gave me a bit of a head start, but I still ended up being tackled!

Yes. It was a stupid game, but it was a heckuva lot of fun.

Still lying on the ground from being tackled by Loki, he looked into my eyes, "Perhaps this would be a good time to launch into some self-defence training?"

"Indeed," I smirked.

While I hoped I'd never need to use this training, to have it was like proverbial insurance - useful if someone ever did make a move on me. I was a determined student as I learned how to properly bob and weave, along with keeping the right footwork. I hoped as time progressed, all I was learning would become muscle memory, but I knew I still had much to learn.

After a time, Loki could see I was getting tired, so we called it a day and got back into the car to go home.

"My clever girl," Loki said, as he put on his seat belt, "you know if someone ever hurt you," he turned to look into my eyes, "I would have to kill them, probation be damned."

"I... wouldn't expect anything less from you, dear friend," I said, lightly biting my lip, feeling rather touched, "but please don't." I put my hand on his arm, "make them face justice, and allow me to continue to have the pleasure to see your face."

*********

When we returned back to my domicile, I fixed us a snack plate of crackers, slices of cheese, and apples with a mug of tea. It had been a nice morning to spend outdoors, but I expended a bit more energy than I should have.

"Go ahead and take a nap," Loki said, shooing me into my bedroom, "if you're not up in an hour, I'll knock."

"What will you be doing while I'm resting?"

"That book I told you about, I brought it with me. I'll read it while you rest," Loki gave me a big hug, then turned me around and gently pushed me toward my bedroom door, "Now, off with you."

It did feel good to lie down to get some extra rest. I thought about tonight and the fun we would be having. I closed my eyes and drifted away...

I later awoke to a curious, yet delicious smell wafting into my room. I sat up and stretched, then got up and left my bedroom. Heading to the kitchen, I could see Loki was in there doing something... he had some pots on the stove, and he was arranging some food on plates. Sensing me nearby, he turned around and smiled at me, the kind of smile one had in attempting to cover their actions when caught red-handed.

"Beverlee," Loki said, "did you sleep well?"

"Yes," I replied, attempting to observe more of what Loki was up to, "I definitely feel better. So, what's all this?" I asked, making a sweeping gesture with my hand.

"I..." Loki said shyly, "I wanted to make supper for us. You've been so kind as to allow me to learn how these machines and devices work when you make meals for us. I wanted to see if I could be as adept and... do my part."

"Loki, that's so sweet of you," I walked up to him, and took his hand, "and I'm proud of you for doing this... along with not making the smoke alarm sound." I looked at the plates, "What have you made for us?"

"I apologize, it's a meager meal, but it should give us enough energy until we get to the party." Releasing my hand, he grabbed a ladle from the jar of cooking utensils on the counter, then grabbed a pot off the stove, "I made us some Halloween pasta-shapes, with a side of garlic toast," he proceeded to ladle the hot spaghetti sauce over the warm pasta, "Chef Barber made this pasta, and all initiative members got a bag as a 'treat' for the occasion. I couldn't think of anyone better to share it with..."

I smiled to myself.

Just when I thought I couldn't adore my friend any more than I did...

Supper was delicious and was just enough for us to not feel too full. As I got up to clear the plates from the table, I kissed Loki's cheek.

"Thank you," I said, "you cook beautifully, my... kitchen apprentice."

Loki laughed.

"I hope you will allow me to instruct you in more areas..." I said sweetly, "as becomes necessary."

"Of course," Loki said, looking up into my eyes, "this apprentice is also very eager to learn from you..."

****

It was time to prepare for Halloween night! Grabbing a large bowl, and the bags of candy I had bought a few days before, Loki and I dumped them into it. We grabbed some blankets, a bunch of battery operated tealights, the two Jack-O-Lanterns we had carved, two thermal mugs full of hot cocoa then headed outside.

My front porch had three steps. We put the lanterns on the second step and put tealights in each. They lit up spectacularly. We put more tea lights on the porch for better illumination making sure the potential trick-or-treaters would see us better. I also had solar path lights installed, lining the way to the porch which were now giving off a lovely light.

We folded the blankets in a manner that they were comfortable to sit on and maintain that comfort as the night potentially would get colder. Putting the bowl of candy between us, we sat and lay in wait for the fun to begin.

"You're right, this IS a much better plan, Loki," I said, touching his arm, "there's no pretense and nothing here to frighten the children."

"Well, your Jack-O-Lantern might," Loki said in amusement.

I playfully smacked him in the chest, "I think yours is more sinister! I hope that's not a portrait of the artist, is it?"

"No." Loki said, his voice now quiet, "I was inspired... by another character in which I crossed paths," he looked down for a moment, then looked at me, "I could never forget that maniacal grin... it sure looks good on a pumpkin," he tried to joke.

I could see in Loki's eyes, this was not a fond memory for him. I pushed the bowl of candy aside, moved the custom folded blanket upon I was sitting closer to him, then took his hand.

I looked at him with concern, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trigger a bad memory."

"It's alright, Beverlee," he said, putting his other hand atop the one I was holding, "that... character is gone, vanquished, and they never will return."

But it seemed the impact they had on him remained.

I pulled Loki into a hug and held him tightly. His arms also held me just as tight.

We didn't have to say anything.

The Ghostbusters used their proton packs to battle demons... and this was how we battled ours.

Then... while we were still in our embrace, we heard a small voice say, "Trick or treat!"

We immediately released the hug, and both of us turned our heads toward the voice.

It was a little girl, wearing a green shimmery dress, with a matching long sleeve shirt and tights - that I suspected was worn to keep warm - holding a wand in one hand, and the handle of a small pumpkin-shaped bucket in the other. She was too cute for words.

I could see she was accompanied by a male guardian, possibly her father, who watched us carefully.

Loki looked at me imploringly.

I smiled and nodded. I picked up the bowl of candy and handed it to him.

Slowly and gracefully, Loki walked down the steps, holding the candy bowl, then sat on the last step, putting the candy bowl on his lap. With a soft smile, he motioned with his hand for the girl to come forward.

"And what are you, little one?" Loki asked.

"I'm a pixie!" she said loud and proud.

Both Loki and I smiled broadly.

"A pixie? Oh, I like pixies," Loki said, "do you think you could share a little pixie dust with me?"

"I - I don't have any pixie dust, I only have a wand!"

"Okay, can you show me some magic with that wand?"

The girl then got shy and looked at the ground.

"Oh, it's easy," Loki said, encouragingly, "I'll help you. Wave that wand at me and say, 'Wingardium leviosa.'"

The girl tried to say it, but it was hard for a child of her age to remember such a long word. Her guardian, though, seemed intrigued with what Loki was doing and moved over to her to help.

"It's okay, Delilah, say it with me," the guardian said, and he broke the word up in sections, which she repeated, "Win. Gard. Ee. Um. Lev. Ee. Oh. Sah."

"Say it one more time," Loki said, "and don't forget to wave that wand."

Both the guardian and Delilah did as requested, then...

Loki began to levitate above the stairs!

Delilah had a big smile on her face, while her guardian gasped and his eyes went wide.

"Thank you, dear pixie," Loki said with a mellifluous voice, "with your magic, you've raised me up - and also lifted my spirits. Wave your wand down so I can reward you."

Delilah waved her wand down, and he returned to sit back on the porch stair.

Loki took a handful of candy from the large bowl and dropped it into her pumpkin-shaped bucket.

"Thank you!" Delilah said, her voice again loud and proud.

"And thank you, little one," Loki said.

As the two turned to depart to make their way to the next house, the guardian turned to face Loki, smiled, then said, "You're better than Criss Angel."

"I know, right?" I seconded.

And the magic didn't stop there. Each trick-or-treater who visited my home was given a few minutes of entertainment. They were happy to participate in doing something fun to earn their treats.

Loki instructed a young boy who was dressed as a ghost on how to effectively say 'boo' by projecting their voice. Once he got to the proper volume, Loki feigned fear and held me to protect him. I was only too happy to play along.

"Aww, you scared my friend," I said to the ghost-boy, "maybe you can make him feel better," I gave the child a sympathetic smile, "come over here and say 'I'm sorry, didn't mean to scare you.'"

Again, it was too many words, but I helped the boy say them. In seconds, Loki released his hold on me and looked at the ghost-boy, now smiling.

"It's okay, I know you didn't mean to scare me," Loki said, "but now that you've got the voice, you'll have to be careful with it. Promise me you'll only use it to protect your family and friends?"

The boy's guardian, a woman, prompted the ghost-boy, "Michael..."

"I promise!" Michael said.

Loki nodded at me, and I took a handful of candy from our large bowl and dropped it in his pillowcase.

After almost two solid hours of hosting trick-or-treaters, Loki and I packed things up and went back into the house. Once we put all the items away, we took a moment to sit on the couch in the living room to just relax.

"You were... fantastic," I said to Loki. I reached up and caressed his cheek, "Someone has really earned themselves a very nice treat."

"Yes," Loki agreed, a big smile on his face, "and that treat is you accompanying me to the Hallowe'en party."

"By the way," I said, looking at him endearingly, "I didn't know you were a Harry Potter fan."

"Who isn't?" Loki said.

****

It was time to get ready for the party. Since Loki was a shapeshifter, he really didn't need much time to prep - but I did!

"Do you need any assistance with your costume?" Loki asked.

"Yes, but only after I've put on the majority of it."

"Let me know when then," he said, sitting on the couch, "I'll read my book in the meantime." Instantly, a book appeared in his hand.

Even though I was well aware of Loki's abilities with magic and illusion, it was those little unexpected things he did that pleasantly surprised me. Seeing him produce that book out of thin air made me wonder if Loki had magic pockets - it wouldn't exactly shock me if he did.

Going into the bedroom, I undressed and got my costume from the closet. Laying it out on the bed, I took one item at a time an put it on; black knee-length stockings, a black skirt, white shirt, V-neck black sweater, red tie, and then - a black robe with a familiar patch. I slipped into a pair of black loafers and walked over to my dresser to take a peek in the mirror.

As I looked at myself, I smiled. As soon as I realized I was doing this, I smiled again. Short of going to work, occasionally I would suffer anxiety about my appearance and what I wore when attending certain public events. It had been quite some time since I had dressed up to go to a Halloween party - let alone any party...

However, there was no anxiety within me. I only felt even more excited to attend this party. I not only looked great, I felt great - and what's more, I would be attending with a great guy.

I grabbed the two remaining items on the bed, a wig, and my wand, then exited the bedroom. I could hardly wait to see Loki's reaction.

"Loki," I said, walking into the living room, "could you help me..."

Loki turned his head, and when he saw me, a huge grin appeared. He put down his book, and stood from the couch, and walked over to me.

"I should have guessed," Loki said, reaching out and holding my shoulders, looking at my costume, "magnificent! My clever girl... as the iconic Hermione Granger."

"I'm so glad you like it," I said, a smile of utter happiness immediately appearing on my face, "I need some help..." I handed him the wig that went with the costume.

"Oh, no, that won't do," Loki said, looking at the wig, "allow me..." Loki used his power of illusion to transform my hair into the perfect style and shade of colour as Hermione's, "that's much better."

"Thank you," I said, tossing the wig on the couch. "Well, I showed you mine, care to show me yours?"

Loki nodded and told me to close my eyes.

When he told me to open them -

"WOW!" I said.

*****

Since the Halloween party was held somewhere in the USA, I contacted Thor with my smartphone - he had the access to portals via Doctor Strange at the Sanctum.

Once we jumped through the appropriate hoops, we stood just in front of the location of the event - a community centre in what seemed a low traffic area. The party must have started and was well underway as I heard the bass of the music booming even from this distance.

"Loki," I said, bit nervous, "I hope the Initiative members like me."

"Don't worry, they will," Loki said, wryly, and moved to hold my hand, "many of them think you are imaginary. So won't they be surprised when they see you you really exist!"

We entered the building and found our way to the main area of the party. We hadn't taken more than a few steps into the place, when...

"LOKI?" It was Thor. I was impressed we could hear him over the loud music. At least he was a familiar face... but then I saw several others accompany him to greet us. We moved back into the foyer so we could all hear each other better.

"Brother, it appears you've lost your head," Thor said with a good-natured laugh.

"Well, it's not like I haven't before," Loki said in a deadpan tone.

I noticed Thor was wearing a very sheek tuxedo, his hair was slicked back and he was holding a drink, "let me guess," I said to him, "James Bond?"

"Why does everybody think that?!" Thor said with some frustration, "I'm one of the Men In Black!" From a pocket, proceeded to pull out a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, which he put on, then pulled out a Neuralyzer prop and pushed a button on the side which made it flash, "Let's do this again," he said to me in an amused tone, "what am I dressed as?"

"One of the Men in Black, Agent T?"

"Yes!" Thor replied, smiling broadly.

"What an amazing costume, Loki!" one of the women the group said. She was dressed as Rey from the latest Star Wars films. Her comment had the rest of the group nodding. "How do you see anything wearing that?"

"Thank you, Sasha. But, it's simply an illusion." Loki replied.

My dear friend had dressed up, well, cast an illusion of himself dressed up as the Headless Horseman. He was mostly wearing black, with the exception of an elegant purple cape. The thought that Loki had put into this illusion was quite marvellous - you couldn't help but notice the incredible detail from his bronze chest plate to his gauntlets, down to even his period foldover boots.

"Everyone," Loki said, still holding my hand, his other now gesturing to me, "this is my dear friend, Beverlee. Please make her feel welcome."

Loki and Thor introduced me to the group, and they were all quite affable: Sasha, Minerva, Blitz, and Jamal.

"It's really great to meet you all," I said.

"Likewise, Beverlee," Jamal said, "the way Loki talks about you, well, we all thought you were make-believe."

"That's my fault," Thor said, laughing, "many of them know Loki to be a trickster, so, I just perpetuated that rumour."

"Thor!" I said, chiding the God of Thunder.

"Perhaps you should cast an Accico slap to head?" Blitz said, with a chuckle.

"Perhaps," I replied, also with a chuckle.

From their expressions and how they were talking/treating Loki - I could see that my friend was truly an accepted member of the team. It just warmed my heart.

After meeting the team and some of their significant others and siblings, Minerva pointed out the various activities going on for the party.

"We have some games in one corner. You simply have to play the bean bag toss! And there's a group playing Scene It! trivia. There's also a pool table! The bar is at the far left, and I hope I'll see you two on the dance floor soon!"

"Thanks, Minerva," Loki said, then turned to me, "shall we get a drink?"

"Let's," I replied.

The members of the Initiative and their loved ones weren't the only ones attending this event. It seemed everyone at SHIELD who worked in some way with the team had also been invited. As we waded through the crowd, it was quite a sight to see all the costumes all around me. Some were recognizable, some looked like their own creation - but they were all very colourful and eye-catching.

Once Loki and I got our drinks, Halloween-themed cocktails, we found a table and sat, watching the activities around us.

"Having fun?" Loki asked me.

"Yes," I said, taking a sip of my drink, "what should we do first?"

"I'm afraid I wouldn't do well with trivia, but that bean bag toss sounded appealing."

"Loki, have you ever played pool?"

"No, is it a fun activity?"

"Yes, and it's not exactly that hard to learn."

Then a group of four people came by our table, one of them spoke, "You're really Loki's friend?"

"Yes," I said, turning my head to face them, then looking back at Loki with a warm smile, "yes, I am."

"Pay up!" the one who spoke said to another of the group, then walked away from us.

"Thor," I muttered, rolling my eyes and shaking my head. I took another sip of my drink. I suspected the rest of the attendees must be reacting in a similar fashion.

"Well, at least everyone knows now that you're real," Loki said, taking my hand, "I couldn't be happier."

Blitz came over to our table, "Loki, if you don't mind, would it be all right to ask Beverlee to dance?"

"I... believe you are asking the wrong person," Loki replied.

Blitz turned to me and extended his hand, "Shall we dance?"

I looked at Loki with some uncertainty, then back at Blitz, "I... sure," and took Blitz's hand. Before he led me to the dance floor, I held up my other hand to Blitz, gesturing to wait for a moment. I leaned down and whispered into the hollow of Loki's costume, where his head/neck would be, "we're so playing the bean bag toss game after this dance."

****

"So what is it about you and Loki?" Blitz asked as we danced to a high energy song, "I think it's great you two are together, but what drew you to him?"

"You asked me to dance, Blitz," I said, not happy about these questions, as I was quite unprepared for them, "had I known this was going to be an interrogation..."

"I'm sorry," he said, "it's just that what we knew about Loki, it's hard to imagine him having such a friend like you. I mean, someone so nice as you."

"Then don't imagine anymore, accept it."

"Believe me, I do. In fact, I think it's mostly due to you he's become such a strong member of the Initiative."

"How do you mean?"

"This may sound cheesy, but when Loki does something for the planet, he's really doing it for you."

"That's quite the sentiment, Blitz," I smiled. "While I'd like to believe that, I know that's not the main reason he joined the Initiative."

"Suit yourself," Blitz said.

Speaking of suits, as the song ended, Thor came over to us, "May I cut in?" he asked as another song began.

"Of course," Blitz said and took his leave.

Argh, this was not what I wanted. I looked over to the table to see how Loki was doing. I was relieved to see that others from the Initiative were at our table sitting and talking with him. I didn't realize how difficult things would be without Loki's head being visible. I wanted to tell him I wasn't doing this deliberately.

But to be polite, I danced with Thor.

He did have a grace about him as we danced, spinning me on occasion, then a dip here and there.

"Are you having fun, Beverlee?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, "it's a great party. I'm so glad Loki invited me."

"And I'm glad you were able to attend," he spun me around again.

"We were going to play pool later," I said. "Would you like to join us?"

"I would enjoy that!" Thor replied.

"We'd just play for fun, no gambling or anything."

"Fine, Beverlee, just fine..."

The song was ending...

Thor bowed and thanked me for the dance - then I felt a tap on my shoulder.

Oh no, not again... Was this another person who wanted to know more about this woman who was Loki's friend? I wasn't going to become a novelty or curiosity - it was time to get off the dance floor.

"I'm sorry, but I'm tired," I started to say, "perhaps..."

"Perhaps you're not too tired to dance with me?"

I turned around. It was the Headless Horseman asking me to dance.

"Loki!" I cried out, giving him a big hug, "I'm so sorry, I..."

"I'm the one who should be apologizing," Loki said as a slow song began to play, "I should have cut in earlier."

I found the selection of this song quite convenient and possibly suspected Loki might have had a hand in doing this. But so much the better, as we held each other close and in a traditional slow dance position, swaying together to the music.

"You're here now," I said, smiling, "that's what counts."

"Beverlee, give these people time," Loki said, "believe me, they like you, but they seem to be in a state of shock." he leaned in closer, despite the lack of ahead, "I promise I won't leave your side for the rest of the time we're here."

The song ended, and to my relief, no one else asked to cut in... as another song came on, we had another dance. I was also impressed, as the song playing was sung by a Canadian.

****

Afterward, we tried our hand at the bean bag toss. Luckily for us, no matter where the bean bag landed everyone got a prize. We both got some loot bags of candy.

Loki and I then played pool with the other Initiative members. We weren't the best players, but we soon discovered neither were they! Some of the Operations Personnel hung around to watch us play, entertained not only by our lack of skills, but our amusing exchanges.

And we certainly were not playing any kind of serious game...

"I have no idea what I'm doing, but I don't care!" Jamal said in a tone of amusement. Taking a shot at a specific ball, instead, he sunk the cue ball. Several times he had done this throughout the game. He began to laugh - and we all laughed with him.

When we ended the game, it looked like many were taking their leave for the evening. The volunteers that had been helping with the recreational activities were now packing up as well.

The Initiative members then came over to us to say goodbye. Of course, they would, as they were Loki's friends, but it blew me away when they all made an effort to say something to me as well.

"It was great to meet you, Beverlee, hope we see you again, and hopefully not for another game of pool!"

"Loki, we need to see Beverlee again, bring her around the facility so we can all do lunch or something!"

"I'm so glad you're not imaginary, and Loki is such a lucky guy."

"Someone needs to take care of Loki, and we couldn't have met a better person who does."

As soon as they left us, Loki's head finally appeared and he looked at me with a soft smile. He took my hand and pulled me closer to him, "See? I told you if you gave them time, they'd see how wonderful you are."

"They're also wonderful people, Loki, and I was very glad to have met them. Thank you for inviting me, I had a great time," a small yawn escaped my lips, "should we call it a night?"

Suddenly a voice behind us said, "I hope you can both forgive me."

It was Thor.

"I didn't know the others would have such a reaction to my rumour," he said, "it was only supposed to be a bit of fun."

"It's okay, Thor," I said in a sympathetic tone, "luckily the problem resolved itself." I looked at Loki then back at his brother from another mother, "I hope you realize now it's better to leave the tricks to Loki."

"Perhaps," Thor said, "can I do anything to make it up to you?"

A very devious expression appeared on Loki's face.

"Beverlee, I know you're tired," Loki said, "but I'd like to do one more thing before heading back to your place."

"And what would that be?"

"Would you like to join me in some Hallowe'en mischief at Central Park?"

I smiled. Suddenly I didn't seem so tired. Reaching for Loki's other hand, I took both of them in my own - then interlaced our fingers in our special way.

"I love this plan," I whispered, "I'm excited to be a part of it... let's do it!"

We both looked at Thor, expectant. He was, for lack of a better term, our designated 'portal opener.'

Looking at the both of us, Thor said, "Only if I can join you..."

"Why not?" Loki said.

Man, it had never felt so good to be an Apprentice to Mischief...

_________________________

Authors Note: I want to thank the following people who inspired me with their input as this story wouldn't have been as half as good without it: DonnaCatherine13, Delilah B., Michael K., Techtra and Don. And props to Lokean.4eva for (pardon the pun) 'egging' me on to write a Hallowe'en vignette!