In the days left until Halloween, Lock, Shock, Barrel, and Carver stayed busy, though as the holiday approached, Halloween Town found less and less for them to do. Jack even let them stop early the day before Halloween to give them extra time to finish their own preparations.

As promised, Shock brought Aggie the scorpion tails, though she hid them nearby for the witch to find at her earliest convenience so the other two witches didn't catch onto the bribe. Lock had since given up on trying to get Lillith to speak with him, while Barrel filled himself on enough pumpkin scraps between jobs that he was tired of snacking on them. None of them really had the energy to fight or bicker with each other. Shock reserved her last bits of energy to tend to her scorpions and quietly plot trouble. Her brothers simply lounged around the lair.

Halloween went as well as it always did, with the trio's moods lifting as they pulled out all of the stops for trouble. This year, they found more than a few worthy victims of their mischief, from troublesome teens to a few rowdy adults who needed to be put in their place. They especially enjoyed the [i]esteemed[/i] gentleman they caught stalking a young group of trick-or-treaters. He found himself precariously dangling from a tree with the band of his underpants tactfully caught in a branch so they'd tighten if he struggled too much. Barrel was the most proud, having actually thought up the cherry on top, much to the pride and amusement of his older siblings.

By the night's end, all of them were in better moods. Now that their punishment was over and Halloween concluded, there were other things to focus on. Like Lock keeping his end of the bargain he made with Agatha. Deals with any of the three were always made with caution, but Lock knew it was always beneficial to be on the witches' good side.

While there were key items they were all banned from buying, and while there was no guarantee literally anything else they [i]were[/i] allowed to purchase wouldn't be used for trouble, the Witches' Shop was convenient and as advertised, the best bargain in town. There was also a mutual understanding between them that anything the tricksters misused was solely on them, and that it was better for the witches to let the trio restock while making a profit off of them than for the sinister siblings to go elsewhere, possibly get an inferior product (and possibly through unsavory means), and make any trouble they caused with it worse than it might have been otherwise.

That had been a hard-learned lesson for all of them. Nevertheless, as a werewolf turned on a full moon and a vampire needed blood, it was known the trio had an innate need to cause mischief. Better to let them get their fill while having some control over potential outcomes than to leave them entirely to their own devices.

Thus, Lock, to give his mind something to do while serving his punishment, thought of a way to arrange Agatha a date with Barrel. The moment he got his little brother alone, he carefully brought it up.

"She's still upset about the swamp smoke," he said, as he and Barrel worked on fixing one of Oogie's old traps. "I mean. We [i]did[/i] kind of use her."

"She seemed pretty okay when she offered to clean my hoodie," Barrel replied.

Lock flicked his tail.

"That was so she didn't have to sell us anything," he reminded his little brother. "She's still mad, or she would have let Carver buy it with some haggling first."

Barrel frowned.

"Why do [i]I[/i] have to do it?" he asked.

"Because I'm still working off something I owe her for, and she damn well won't trust Shock," Lock replied, irritably.

"What do you--?"

"None of your business," Lock said.

He used his tail to hold a piece in place for Barrel as he oiled down another part.

"...How [i]do[/i] I make it up to her?" Barrel asked as he tightened a bolt.

[i]Good[/i], Lock thought. [i]He took the bait[/i].

'Well, what makes [i]you[/i] feel better?" Lock asked.

"A good meal," Barrel said, "but I don't see--"

"Rule one with girls," Lock said. "They like sincere gestures. Agatha knows you like to cook, and that you're [i]good[/i] at it. It's your passion. So sharing it with her as an apology lets her know you really [i]are[/i] sorry and trying to make her feel better, because it makes [i]you[/i] feel better."

"I guess that makes sense," Barrel said, "but what do I make?"

"You could make a few things," Lock suggested. "Like a three-course meal. She'll [i]definitely[/i] think you're sorry, and if she doesn't like something, you have options."

The wrench stopped.

"That's a good idea," Barrel said, "but I've never done that before..."

"All the better," Lock replied. He picked up a rag to wipe his hands. "More effort, more sincerity. She'll love it."

Barrel thought it over. He [i]did[/i] have some of the spices back, and he [i]could[/i] make a few good dishes with them...

"...Okay," he said. "That's a lot of food, though."

"Just make enough for you and her," Lock said. "It's probably better if Shock and I aren't around. She might think something's up."

"Right," Barrel agreed. "But when--?"

"Tomorrow night," Lock said. "Shock and Carver were going to see Medusa, and I can just find something else to do. You'll have the whole place to yourself."

Barrel nodded in agreement.

"Okay," he said.

Lock helped him finish up.

"You should probably go invite her over," he suggested, "or I can. I was going to try to talk to Lillith again anyway."

"Could you?" Barrel asked. "I've got to think about what to make and see what we have."

Lock smirked.

"Sure, bro," he said as he gave Barrel a quick pat on the arm. "I'll let her know."

~~~

The bell over the shop jingled. Lock strolled in, hoping to see Agatha at the counter, only to find Aggie running it. He frowned, but it didn't deter him. Merely an inconvenience, was all.

"Is Agatha in?" he asked.