Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Lass, you had best be joking,” Phyllis groaned, glaring at the brunette nurse who was intentionally avoiding eye contact.

“Not in the slightest,” Delia said, as she finished cutting two holes into the middle of an old white sheet.

“Oh, come on, Phyllis, the children will love it,” Trixie said, putting her hands on her hips and serving a matching unyielding attitude to the older midwife.

“No, I’m putting my foot down. I will help with this ridiculous spooky maze idea of yours, but I will not be putting that sheet on my head.”

Patsy emerged from the bathroom wearing her sheet and Delia couldn’t help but laugh as her lover stumbled about getting used to the getup. “Oh, it’s perfect Patsy!”

“I’ve just about finished putting the black cloth from Violet across all of the curtain racks. Trixie, come help me create the path,” Barbara hollered from where she was pushing two of the privacy curtains.

“Oh boy!” Trixie said, clapping her hands with excitement. “The children will be arriving in about 20 minutes. Delia, will you and Patsy set the corn stalks about?”

Delia and the tall ghost nodded in unison.

“And Phyllis, I will not have you ruining my haunted maze with your sour mood. I expect to return here in ten minutes and find you wearing that sheet and holding a tray of candy apples.”

Phyllis rolled her eyes and stomped off to get the fruit sweets from the kitchen.

Trixie and Barbara trotted off together to move more of the clinic screens that would soon make up the walls of the maze.

“Come on Pats, let’s get the stalks out of Fred’s truck. You better take that sheet off to walk you silly fool.”

Delia watched as the white sheet was pulled off by her girlfriend and she couldn’t help but beam with delight at seeing Patsy’s childlike happiness emerge.

“You know Deels, I haven’t celebrated Halloween since I was a little girl…” The redhead’s smile faded momentarily as she thought back to why her childhood had been cut short.

Delia reached out and took the older woman’s hand. “Pats, I know things were difficult for you, and you stopped celebrating holidays a long time ago… but I’d like to make some fun new holiday memories with you... What do you think?”

Patsy’s attention was drawn back to the present and her eyes focused on the smaller woman standing before her, so clearly doing what she could to keep the moment light with a warm connection.

Patsy glanced around to be sure no one was in sight then wrapped Delia in her arms, lifting the brunette off her feet and spinning her in a circle, eliciting a joyous laugh from both women.

As Delia was set back down she felt her heart swell at Patsy’s lighthearted gesture of love and she leaned into the taller woman, letting her head momentarily rest on the redhead’s chest.

“I want nothing more than to make new holiday memories with you Deels,” Patsy said, tightening her hold on the smaller woman, then kissing the top of her head. “This really is quite a lot of fun, isn’t it?”

Delia leaned back and smiled up at Patsy. “Yes, the holidays can be wonderful Pats! I’ll make sure you know that now. Better yet, I’ll make sure you feel the magic of holidays.”

The two women leaned forward and let their lips meet, parting quickly as they heard footsteps approaching.

“I don’t know what on earth could be so funny that I heard you both cackling like two witches from all the way down that hall…” Phyllis grumbled, as she returned with the tray of apples.

The moment Delia and Patsy came into her view Phyllis let out her own laugh, seeing the two women doing their best to assume an innocent stance. “Ahh, yes…love. Love is always the culprit for grins like those,” she said as she passed on her way to the table that was meant to be her post for handing out the goodies.

“Is it really that obvious?” Delia asked.

“To the trained eye, two Souls in love will always be easy to spot,” Phyllis said with a wink. “But you two do a marvelous job at keeping it from those who are not meant to witness the light of your love.”

The couple took a moment to absorb the kindness of their friend before heading off to their tasks.

“Deels, I’ll get the stalks if you finish taping those cutout bats to the windows of the front doors,” Patsy said as they headed to the street to finish setting up before the children arrived.

Chapter Text

“Ready ladies?!” Trixie asked with excitement, looking at the group of four sheet-clad ghosts standing before her.

Barbara, Patsy and Delia, all excitedly nodded their heads yes from beneath their sheets while Phyllis crossed her arms and let out a grumpy “harumph”

“Excellent Phyllis, already in character as the mean old ghost,” Trixie said.

“Alright Fred!” Barbara shouted toward the front door. “Let them in!”

Trixie flipped off the lights then hurried back into the maze with Barbara, Patsy, and Delia, each finding their agreed upon spots to jump out and scare the children while handing out candy.

Phyllis stayed at the entrance of the maze, which also served as the exit- a brilliant design by Trixie and Barbara who wanted to use two thirds of the clinic space for the maze, and the other third for a dance floor and carnival games.

Suddenly the large room was filled with the shrill shrieks and giggles of happy children running about.

“Ah ah ah, not yet,” Phyllis said from beneath her ghost costume. She swatted away tiny hands reaching for the apples. “You must brave the maze first, then you can have your treat.”

The children shouted their complaints but gleefully charged into the maze carrying their bags for candy.

“Well hello Dr. Turner!” Phyllis said waving. “And Nurse Turner, good to see you. Did Nurse Franklin rope you into this as well?”

Dr. Turner laughed. “Please, tonight we are just Patrick and Shelagh the parents, not doctor and nurse.”

Phyllis nodded with understanding.

“And yes she did!” Shelagh exclaimed. “I’m doing the face painting and Patrick is running the apple bobbing bin. Dare I say, it looks spooktacular in here!”

Patrick and Shelagh laughed at the clever statement.

“Well, it’s wonderful to see the both of you,” Phyllis said, genuinely beginning to enjoy the spirit of the event for the first time. “That way, off you go,” she called out, directing a group of children to enter the maze, while waving Patrick and Shelagh off as they headed to their activity stations.

Chapter Text

“Here they come! Here they come!” Barbara loudly whispered to Trixie across the way, who then turned and shared the message with Delia, who passed it along to Patsy.

All four women excitedly crouched down ready to jump out at the first sight of children.

“Boo!” Barbara shouted as three kids came around the first corner. All let out squeals of delight then held their bags out before running deeper into the maze.

“Who dares come into my haunted maze?!” Trixie shouted as the children cowered away then laughed as the ghost added more candy to their bags. “And what should children say to gracious ghosts?” Trixie shouted in her best spooky voice.

“Thank you!!” the kids all shouted in chorus.

Delia silently knelt behind the curtain, peeking beneath, waiting for the first sign of someone approaching. She quickly took a moment to appreciate how far she had come in her recovery since the accident, and how easy it now was to get up and down from the ground. The moment she saw shoes beneath the curtain she reached out and grabbed at the ankles of the children, eliciting screams of fear followed by giggles as she emerged to drop lollies into their bags.

Patsy couldn’t hardly contain her laughter as she heard the screams come from where she knew Delia was posted. She could feel the brunette was having the time of her life doing something so fun and festive, and she admired how fully the younger woman loved holidays and parties.

“AAAAhhhhhh!!!!” The children screamed as Patsy leapt from behind the curtain waving her arms wildly and making screeching sounds.

The children’s screams turned to laughter as they all held their bags out once more.

“And what do you say?” Patsy prompted, smiling from beneath her ghost costume.

“Trick or treat!” they all shouted in unison.

Patsy dropped a butterscotch sweet into each bag then returned to her hiding place waiting for the next group to come along.

As the children emerged from the maze, partially exhausted by all the jump scares, Phyllis couldn’t help but smile at their happy faces as she handed out the candy apples and watched them run off to the other activities.

Chapter Text

After about an hour of scaring and delighting children in the maze, Trixie rounded up the other women. “Ready for what we practiced?”

“Gosh I’m nervous…” Barbara said.

“Don’t be,” Delia reassured. “You’re completely anonymous beneath that sheet, no one will know who’s who once everyone joins in.”

“I’m just worried I’ll trip in this silly getup,” Patsy said, also feeling a bit of nerves.

“Oh, relax you two,” Trixie said, putting her hands on her hips. “It’s just a little dance for children. There’s nothing at all to be nervous about. Are you ready to put the record on then join us Phyllis?”

“Must I?” the older woman asked, considering hiding once the music was playing.

“Yes!” Barbara, Trixie, Patsy and Delia all said together.

“Alright, alright…” Phyllis said as she headed off to the corner of the room where the record player was set up.

Delia nudged Patsy with her shoulder and the redhead playfully nudged her back, both smiling beneath their sheets as they walked with Trixie and Barbara to stand in front of the children and parents.

“Can I get everyone’s attention?” Trixie called out from beneath her ghost costume. “We’re about to start the music portion of tonight’s event but we would like to have you join us in a fun little dance.
What do you think about that?!” Trixie said looking to the crowd of children.

“Yeahhh!!!” They all shouted.

“Wonderful! We’ll show you the moves to the dance, then you repeat… it goes like this…”

The four ghosts showed a simple eight step dance that could be repeated, then ran through it several times as the children practiced, and the parents laughed and clapped.

“Ready to put it to some music?” Trixie called out.

“Yeahhh!!!” the children shouted again.

“Hit it Phyllis!” Trixie yelled out.

Phyllis dropped the needle onto the record player and the Witch Doctor by David Seville and the Chipmunks began to play.

The large room erupted with sound as feet stomped, hands clapped, and everyone laughed and cheered.

Patsy and Delia’s eyes met as they jumped up and down then linked elbows and spun about in time to the party song, feeling the sparks of their love through the white sheets.

Phyllis linked elbows with Barbara as they too spun about, and Trixie had a young boy attached to each arm as she twirled in time to the music. Patrick and Shelagh also spun while laughing heartily.

As the song came to an end everyone cheered and clapped.

“Well done!! Well done everyone!!” Trixie shouted while clapping. “Now, how do you all feel about monsters?!?!” the blonde shouted to the children in her spooky voice.

The children squealed and laughed, pretending to hide and cower as the parents watched on with big smiles.

“How would you all feel about a frightening Monster Mash?!?!” Trixie shouted, waving her arms above her head.

“Yeahhhh!!!!” the children shouted.

“That’s your cue Nurse Crane!” Trixie called out.

Phyllis dropped the needle onto the new record and The Monster Mash filled the clinic space.

The children went wild and started dancing and jumping about.

Barbara, Trixie, Patsy, and Delia all linked hands and spun in a circle, twisting and turning.

Delia gave Patsy’s hand a loving squeeze as they spun with the other two women, and the redhead returned the squeeze rubbing her thumb on the back of the brunette’s hand. Barbara broke away from their circle and ran to Phyllis, dragging her to the dance floor.

The older woman pretended to protest but quickly linked hands with Barbara and Trixie, joining in their twirling circle until the Monster Mash came to an end and another round of cheers and applause filled the room.

“Will you two go get the last surprise?” Trixie whispered to Patsy and Delia. “It’s in the closet over there. Just open the door and the children should do the rest.”

Patsy and Delia again nudged shoulders affectionately as they stood by the door waiting for Trixie’s signal, which came in the form of a loud whistle from Phyllis followed by the blonde directing the children to look to the corner.

Delia quickly opened the door and Patsy helped shove dozens of orange balloons out into the room.

“Yeahhh!!!!” the kids shouted as they dove into the pile of balloons, kicking them into the air and hitting them back and forth with one another.

Patsy and Delia laughed as they batted a balloon back and forth while Phyllis tried to keep some rowdy boys from playing too rough.

Barbara and Trixie came to join the couple, also batting the balloon back and forth for a moment.

“Well, I’d say this was quite a success, wouldn’t you?” Barbara asked.

“Absolutely,” Patsy agreed. “Best Halloween I’ve ever had.”

Delia smiled from beneath her sheet as she heard the genuine happiness in Patsy’s voice. “You both did brilliantly with the planning,” Delia said.

“We couldn’t have done it without Phyllis too!” Trixie said loud enough for the older midwife to hear from where she had two boys by the ear, keeping them from tackling one another.

Even with her sheet, they could see Phyllis shake her head with exasperation and knew she was most likely rolling her eyes at the blonde’s comment.

“Don’t get too tired out, you two. Barbara will be heading out to a late night call in just a few minutes, but I expect you two to join me and Phyllis for some adult Halloween fun with cocktails and mocktails when we get back,” Trixie said to Patsy and Delia.

“We were already planning on an afterhours affair,” Delia said, leaning toward Trixie.

“I’m sad to miss it, but this has been so much fun!” Barbara said. “I actually need to head out now, you alright getting it cleaned up in here?”

“Of course!” the nurses affirmed, hugging Barbara. “Cheers to a quick and easy delivery,” Delia said, waving goodbye.

The children and families were also beginning to make their way out of the clinic space.

“Right then, I think we better get a start on cleaning this place up,” Patsy said, finally pulling the sheet off.

Delia pulled hers off too, taking in the sight of her flushed girlfriend and fighting the urge to reach up and brush red hair away from her eyes.

Patsy smiled, seeing Delia’s face for the first time in two hours despite being right next to each other for much of the evening.

“Actually, we’ll take clean up duty,” Dr. Turner said, approaching the group of tired ghosts. “Shelagh, Tim and I will stay and get things picked up and sorted so you all can take the rest of the night off.

“Yes, you look positively worn out,” Shelagh said with a smile. “I can’t say I blame you after those wonderful dances! That was such fun!”

“Oh, you two don’t need to do that,” Trixie said. “We planned on cleanup.”

“No, no, we insist,” Patrick said, smiling. “You all just go on and enjoy the rest of your night. “You too Nurse Crane!” the doctor called out.

“You don’t need to tell me twice,” Phyllis said, gladly pulling her sheet off and heading for the door. “I’ll bring the car around and you three can join me,” she said, looking back to Trixie, Patsy and Delia.

“Oh… but it’s quite a lot to do…” Trixie said, biting her lip and looking around, feeling guilty for leaving.

“I’ll be joining the cleanup squad as well,” Fred said, entering with a large push broom. "We’ll have this place spotless in no time.”

“Well… if you insist…” Trixie said hesitantly.

“We absolutely do insist,” Shelagh said with a warm smile. “Now go have fun you three. You deserve it after giving such a lovely gift to the community.”

Delia and Patsy smiled and waved goodbye, dragging Trixie by the elbow before she had time to reconsider leaving.

Chapter Text

“Ahhh… that feels marvelous…” Phyllis said, dropping into Sister Monica Joan’s armchair and propping her feet on the coffee table. “Let me tell you young lasses, events like that, coming straight off an eight hour shift, become much more tiring at my age. Just wait… you’ll see…”

“You just keep those heels propped up Phyllis, and I’ll have a cocktail in your hand in two shakes,” Patsy said from where she was mixing ingredients on the table.

“What’s on the menu tonight, Pats?” Delia asked expectantly, as she rearranged the furniture in the large room she shared with the redhead. She was quickly making a seating area for the four of them that faced the television set she had sneakily drug in from the Nonnatus sitting room. “Just about ten minutes until it starts…” she mumbled, checking the clock on the nightstand.

At that moment Trixie came in carrying a large bowl of popcorn. “Well, while I was in that kitchen I already heard complaints from two nuns about the Halloween party… saying it’s ungodly and whatnot… but if you ask me, they should just keep their opinions to themselves and I’ll keep my opinions about some of their celebrations and ceremonies to myself,” the blonde said, setting the bowl on the table.

“Don’t pay them any attention lass, that was a wonderful evening, and you gave those children and their families loads of fun,” Phyllis said.

“Phyllis is right, it was tremendous fun for everyone,” Patsy agreed, walking over to Trixie, and placing a glass full of a red brew in her hand.

“Is there…”

“Of course not,” Patsy said with a wink. “Tonight we are having a vampire whiskey sour, sans whiskey for you Trix, complete with a splash of cherry juice for that bloody good look and taste.” She handed Phyllis and Delia glasses and returned to the table for her own.

Delia took a sip. “Mmmm… that’s brilliant Pats, you really have a knack for these concoctions.”

Patsy smiled proudly as she sat beside the brunette on the sofa and leaned forward to take a handful of popcorn. “This is a nice furniture setup Deels, what are we watching?” She reached up without thinking and brushed dark hair away from the smaller woman’s eyes.

“It’s one of the latest Hitchcock films from America. The paper said it was called Psycho. They have it playing on a Halloween special starting at ten.”

“Oh, I do hope it isn’t too frightening…” Trixie said, taking a sip of her mocktail and grabbing a blanket to cover up with.”

“He is a brilliant filmmaker,” Phyllis said, sipping her cocktail and raising her eyebrows at it’s potency. “Rear Window and North By Northwest were wonderful.”

“I do love a good American film now and then,” Trixie said.

As Trixie and Phyllis continued talking about Hitchcock and other American directors they enjoyed, Patsy and Delia got cozy beneath their shared blanket.

“Having fun tonight Pats?” Delia asked quietly as she gazed into the eyes of her girlfriend.

Patsy took Delia’s glass and set both of their drinks down on the table then leaned back and wrapped her arms around the smaller woman, pulling her to her side so that no space was left between them.

“You’ve made this a wonderful Halloween Deels.”

Delia blushed feeling Patsy’s energy shifting with the closeness. She reached out under the blanket and let her hand rest on the older woman’s thigh.

Patsy smiled at the touch and wrapped an arm around Delia’s shoulders and let her other hand find Delia’s, clasping their fingers and letting their linked hands rest in the brunette’s lap. “Did you see those children’s faces? They were having such fun in that maze and dancing…”

Delia watched as Patsy took on a peaceful faraway look as she thought back to the Halloween party.

“You really do have a soft spot for kids, don’t you? Delia said, feeling a warmth in her chest.

Patsy shrugged and let her head lean to the side to rest on top of Delia’s. “I just think children should be carefree and happy, and I like seeing them feeling that way is all.”

Delia lightly squeezed Patsy’s thigh and turned placing a kiss on the redhead’s cheek. “I love that you love seeing others happy Pats. It’s one of my favorite things about you.”

Patsy turned and looked to the brunette, locking eyes and feeling a warmth settling in her chest too. “I love the way you want to make sure everyone feels the magic of the holidays, and that you enjoy helping others have fun.”

Phyllis shushed Trixie mid-sentence and nodded to the couple on the couch and smiled. They could see Patsy and Delia, who were now cuddled up to one another, were having a lovely intimate moment as their faces were just inches apart.

Patsy leaned in first and Delia closed her eyes, melting into the tender kiss. Both women sighed, feeling their nervous systems relax as their hearts synced.

“Oh, get a room you two!” Trixie shouted playfully after a moment.

Delia laughed and begrudgingly broke away from the kiss. “Gosh, I’d forgotten you two were even here.”

“And you’re in our room!” Patsy shouted back with a laugh.

“Oh, it’s starting!” Phyllis said, jumping up to turn up the volume on the television.

“I’ll get the lights!” Trixie said, running around the large room turning off all but one lamp. “Gosh I really hope this isn’t too frightening…” she said, sitting back in her chair and pulling her legs up under the blanket.

“Shh!!” Phyllis scolded, reaching for another handful of popcorn.

Patsy and Delia shared another kiss as they laughed at their friends, then turned their attention to the screen, and settled into each other’s embrace, getting cozy under the blanket.

“Pats… what is so hard here…” Delia said, shifting away from the solid lump and moving the blanket to reach down and feel around Patsy’s hip.

“Ahh, I forgot,” Patsy said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out several sweets wrapped in bright foil.

Delia rolled her eyes and laughed. “Of course. I should’ve known you and that sweet tooth of yours couldn’t avoid bringing some of that Halloween candy back with us.”

Patsy shrugged innocently and unwrapped a butterscotch offering it to Delia.

“I suppose one would be alright…” the brunette said without a second of hesitation as she popped it into her mouth.

Patsy smiled and popped one into her mouth then set the rest on the table.

As they watched the opening of Psycho, Trixie and Phyllis both absentmindedly took pieces too, much to Patsy’s delight. “I knew no one would turn down sweets,” she said, pulling Delia close again.

The brunette happily scooched in and let her head rest on Patsy’s shoulder as their fingers intertwined beneath the blanket once more.

“Happy Halloween Pats,” the brunette whispered.

Patsy smiled and gave the smaller woman a loving squeeze. “Happy Halloween Deels.”