Stephanie's Second First Halloween

Chapter 1: The Most Important Quest Of The Year

"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this." Jonathan hissed, adjusting his straw hat, long brown ears flopping on it.

"But you look so adorable, Haigha!" Jervis had, somehow, managed to make his costume even more reminiscent of the Mad Hatter. He hopped up on his tiptoes to plant a kiss on the other's cheek.

Still annoyed, Jonathan straightened to his full height, making it impossible for the other to actually reach him. He smirked at Jervis's annoyed huff, waiting only a moment more before obligingly leaning down.

"Guys! I'm ready!" Edward called from his bedroom, appearing in furry bodysuit, purple nightcap adorned with green stars. Jonathan would've scolded him about not giving clues to their real identities, but Jervis' existence made such an action futile. "Well? How do I look?"

"Perfectly splendid, Dormouse!" Jervis clapped happily. Jonathan spent too long thinking of a sarcastic response — of course Edward could find a way to make these ridiculous costumes actually look good. Of course he fuckin' could.

"Where's Corvin?" Edward asked, looking around.

"Helping Stephanie get dressed." Jonathan replied, instantly regretting it.

"He's what?" Edward looked damn near murderous. Which was funny, considering he probably couldn't outright murder someone even if he wanted to, not without a puzzle of some sort. Damn, Jonathan wished there was a non-lethal way of testing that...

"Relax, Ed." Jonathan rolled his eyes, using the soothing tone he knew worked on the other, no matter how much Edward resented it. "She needed help, what were we supposed to do? Have one of us dress her?"

"No!"

"Exactly." Jonathan nodded decisively. "She is perfectly safe. He is a Demon, he does not have human biology nor impulses. He's actually confused as to why we didn't just help her."

"That better be true, Crane." Edward hissed in a very dangerous way. It was easy to think of him as harmless, as weak, but he might've been the biggest threat out of the three of them — so long as he had the right motivation, of course.

At that moment, the bathroom door clicked open. Stephanie stepped out in a blue and white dress, large black bow in her hair, grinning as wide as Joker. She twirled. "Well? How do I look?"

"Absolutely marvelous, Steph." Edward nodded, watching Corvin trot out after her, dressed up as a kitten. "Are you alright, Stephanie? I hear Corvin helped you."

"Huh? Oh!" Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, I couldn't get my dress zipped up or the bow tied."

"And you're comfortable with that?" Edward asked, double checking.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Corvin's not a pet, Sweetie. He's a person, like Jon."

"So?" Stephanie asked, her faced scrunched up in thought. She really was a clever child, quickly realizing why exactly he was so worried. "He didn't do anything. He just zipped up my dress and tied the bow."

"That's all?" Edward asked nervously. Jonathan couldn't decide between exasperation at what was very much an overreaction or shocked pride he actually cared this much.

"He helped me decide which pair of shoes to wear." Stephanie added, shrugging. Her own calm mood put Edward at ease, and soon the bizarre group was joining hundreds of other Gothamites in the most important quest of the year — trick-or-treating!