Happy Holidays Yeah, right

by theboyandgirlwhowaited

Coraline's Christmas isn't exactly what she wanted it to be when she has to spend it with her annoying relatives. But will an incident change the way she thinks about them? One-shot, SLIGHT Christian base, don't like don't read. Other holidays included.

"Happy" Holidays (yeah, right)

Summary: Coraline's Christmas isn't exactly what she wanted it to be when she has to spend it with her annoying relatives. But will an incident change the way she thinks about them? One-shot.

A/N: Hey guys!! This is my Coraline Christmas special. It used to be a Thanksgiving special, but I couldn't get it out in time for Thanksgiving, so I changed it. And don't worry – the other holidays are mentioned, too. :) Read and review, please!! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Coraline – it belongs to Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman.

~*~

"Are you sure we have to go?" Coraline whined, standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

Mel shut her laptop, something she rarely ever did, and groaned. "Ugh," she sighed exasperatedly. She turned to Coraline, her eyes sharp. "How many times have I told you? Yes, Coraline!" she turned back around but Coraline rushed up to her before she could.

"But why?" whined Coraline.

Mel's lips were pursed. "Because we were invited, Coraline, and it would be extremely rude to say no."

"But – but –" spluttered Coraline. "No it wouldn't!" Mel rolled her eyes and opened her laptop. "You could say I was sick or something! Besides, Mom," Coraline pounded her fists on the table. "You don't even like family reunions – especially when they're from your side!"

Mel's lips pursed again. "I know," she said. "But – it's the kind thing to do."

Coraline groaned and thumped her forehead on the table in exasperation.

"What's going on in here?" asked Charlie as he came into the room with a mug of coffee, having heard the arguing from his study.

"Coraline doesn't want to go to the Christmas family reunion," explained Mel, not looking up.

"But neither do you!" protested Coraline.

"It doesn't matter, Coraline," snapped Mel. "You're going. And that's final."

"UGH!!" Coraline groaned louder and thumped her head on the table repeatedly. Her mother didn't look up and her father sighed and went back into his study. "Well, I guess I'll just go outside and throw myself down the old well," said Coraline, sighing dramatically, even though that was the LAST thing she'd ever do – the Other Mother's hand was down there!!

"That's nice," Mel responded, still not looking up.

Coraline sighed. "I'm going off to my room to sulk," she said grumpily, and paused in the doorway to add, "Don't disturb me."

"Don't worry," Mel said in a monotone voice as she continued typing on her laptop. "I won't."

Coraline marched up the stairs and slammed the door shut.

~*~

Coraline hated family reunions. That was no secret. She always had.

It didn't matter what the date was – Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, New Year's, or not even a holiday – but she just hated them. Period.

Part of the reason was because of her family.

She liked her dad's side okay. In fact, her baby cousin, Matthew, was actually kind of cute.

But her mom's side?

Hahahahahaha – NO. (A/N: I say that all the time.)

Coraline did not like her mother's side of the family. Maybe it was because Mel would always bag on them when Coraline was little and what Mel said always stuck with her. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't seen them enough (the last time she had seen them was when she was seven, and she had only seen them two times before that, once when she was two, and another time when she was five). Or maybe it was the fact that Coraline's family was really very hard to get along with.

Her grandmother, Jean, Mel's mother, was always making degrading comments, "Look at you, Joe – you need to lose some weight, don't you think?", "Nick, why waste your time singing? You have a horrible voice!", and "Kevin, you really need a bath. Your hair is a mess." (A/N: Noticed the names I used in those sentences. Sound familiar? Haha. Cool what I did there, isn't it?)

Then her grandfather, George, was always spitting some black liquid into a cup. Her grandmother told her it was coke, but her mom told her it was from his tobacco and to never eat it because it would kill her.

Uncle Henry, Mel's brother, was always punching Coraline "good-naturedly" – although it really hurt like heck. He was the gambling type – Coraline learned never to ask him a question, because he would try to turn it around and make it into a bet.

Then, his wife, Aunt Yolanda, Mel's sister-in-law, was the typical annoying old aunt. She had dyed red hair, lots of make-up, and was almost always smacking some gum, which made Coraline cringe whenever she looked at her. She would often pinch Coraline's cheeks and squeeze her so hard she felt like the air was knocked out of her. She'd had to sit down once after one of Aunt Yolanda's hugs.

Then was her Aunt Mallory, who was tall and looked so much like Mel it was hard to tell them apart. That was where the similarities ended, however. There was only one way to describe Mallory – and that was cruel and bossy. "I bet she kicks puppies," Mel had grumbled once when she had hung up the phone from a lecture from her sister. Mallory was always bossy, Mel had told her. She stole Mel's toys when she was little and always shoved her around when her mother wasn't looking. Her childhood had been ruined because of Mallory. As soon as she was old enough, Mel had moved as far away from Mallory as possible – which was Pontiac, Michigan. Mallory lived in Phoenix, Arizona.

Her husband, Nick, was okay, Coraline thought. Mainly he and her father would discuss gas prices and economy while watching football. Nick had grown up in Michigan, and so had her father, so they both had a lot to talk about. Nick still visited Michigan, which Coraline had been begging her parents to do. So far, they hadn't given in.

Of course there were more people than that – sometimes her relatives brought friends or people from their husband/wife's side of the family, and they were almost as awful, but it would take forever to describe them.

But what Coraline hated most about family reunions – was her cousins.

She had ten. Four were second cousins – the Barrys – Hadley (12), Hannah (12 – Hadley and Hannah were identical twins), Ida (7), and Frannie (4). All four girls were the most evil Coraline had ever met – all of them looked sweet and innocent at first, sure, with their platinum blonde hair, dimples, and bright blue eyes – but they were all little devils if you asked Coraline. She couldn't even name all the pranks they had pulled on her before. And they always told such outrageous lies! But the problem was – everyone believed them. They were too "cute and innocent" to lie, they all thought.

Yeah? Well Coraline could be all cute and innocent too.

Well – not really.

Then her other second cousin – Brandon Hawkinson – was awful. He always picked on her and the younger kids there. Heck, he picked on everybody. Luckily, nobody thought of him as "cute and innocent", so he was almost always grounded for bad behavior, which just made him angrier and do more bad things.

Next was Aunt Mallory and Uncle Nick's child, Sarah, who was only four, and the brattiest child Coraline had ever met. She was always demanding to be carried, tugging on Coraline's sleeve, demanding to be played with, and whenever Coraline would ask politely to Aunt Mallory to control her daughter, she would wave her hand and say, "Oh, she just wants to play, Coraline. Give her a break, would you? She's only four." And turn back to whatever she was doing, leaving Coraline stuck with the little monster.

Then, the last were her Uncle Tim (related to her only by law) and Aunt Yolanda's children – Andrew, Katrina, Daphne, and Trace Baker.

Andrew was fourteen, three years older than Coraline, and was extremely proud of that fact. If he didn't go five minutes without commenting on how short she was or how tall he was or how much older he was, Coraline would've thought that he was deeply ill. He was always bragging about something – about his grades, his football team, possibilities in being a doctor as a career, that sort of thing. But his parents were much worse. They were always talking about how proud they were of their son. Coraline had a feeling that Andrew's other siblings didn't like that much.

Next was Katrina, who was thirteen, two years older than Coraline. Coraline actually didn't know Katrina that much – every time she saw her, she was always texting. Sometimes she would glance at Coraline, smooth back her hair, and continue to text, as if she was bragging, "I've got a cell phone and you don't!!" But Coraline didn't let it get to her, because she did that to everyone. Besides, she didn't really want a cell phone yet.

Next was Daphne, twelve, one year older than Coraline, who she considered to be an older version of a mixture between Melanie Forrest and Savannah Witherspoon at her school. Daphne liked to text too, but Coraline got a feeling she liked to express herself verbally aloud better. She was always starting arguments and smirked to herself whenever she did. Coraline knew exactly what she lived for – putting people together that had no interests in each other at all and then when they realized they didn't someone would break up with the other person, making the other person feel awful and rejected. Sometimes they would even cry.

Coraline knew.

She had seen it happen.

But Trace, who happened to be her exact age and the youngest Baker, she hated the most.

He was one of those "cool" guys who everyone fawned over and laughed at (probably just to gain popularity) but Coraline thought there was nothing funny about him at all. He bragged about his athletic abilities, laughed about his incapability in school-work, and seemed, you know, careless.

He was Coraline's LEAST favorite cousin, if she had one.

There were more, of course. But those were the ones that Coraline knew most – and the ones she hated most, too.

And she could not believe she was going to have to spend Christmas with them.

~*~

"Can you believe it?" Coraline groaned, sighing and propping up her chin on the lunch table. She, Wybie, and Lucy sat at their own individual table at the far left side of the lunchroom. It was the last day before Holiday break, so many people were chatting loudly and exchanging gifts while Coraline explained about her Christmas situation.

"That is kinda rough," Lucy said sympathetically, taking her pony-tail holder off of her wrist and sweeping her shoulder-length blonde hair back into a pony-tail. Lucy was petite with fierce blue eyes and a few freckles dotted across her nose – but what she didn't have in size, she made up for in personality.

"Yeah," Wybie agreed. "My family reunions are always fun."

Coraline shot him a 'you're-not-helping' look and Wybie shrank back. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Coraline sighed and thudded her head against her hands and then looked up, turning to Lucy. "So…what are you doing for Christmas? Or Hanukkah? Or Kwanza?" Coraline's family was Christian (Baptist).

"Christmas," Lucy said. She was a Lutheran Christian. "I dunno yet." She shrugged, taking a bite out of her ham sandwich. She turned to Wybie. "So, what are you doing?"

"Well, we celebrate Christmas," said Wybie, who didn't go to church very often. "But most of my family celebrates Kwanza. My grandmother never liked Kwanza. She said it was…I don't remember, actually. I dunno," Wybie shrugged. "And mostly my grandma and I just stay home; open presents…that sort of thing."

"Oh," Lucy and Coraline responded in unison, without much else to say.

Just then the bell rang and the three headed off to their individual classes. At the end of the day they wished each other happy holidays and went home for Holiday Break.

~*~

Usually, Coraline spent half the night before Christmas staying up with excitement, even though she had stopped believing in Santa ages ago. There was just something about Christmas that made Coraline…happy. But this year, Coraline dreaded it. Still, she couldn't help feeling excited when she woke up the next morning. She slipped out of bed and stepped into the doorway of her parents' room, shouting, "Hey!! Wake up!! It's Christmas!!" and then running down the stairs and to the living room, which had been remodeled so it had a carpeted floor now.

Coraline shrieked in surprise as a black figure darted towards her feet, but then she smiled and kneeled down. "Hello, Cat," she whispered to it. "What are you doing in here? Mom's going to be mad."

The cat didn't respond (of course) but simply arched his back and let himself be rubbed.

"OK, OK, we're coming, Coraline," groaned Coraline's mother from upstairs. Coraline swiftly scooped the cat into her arms and carried him into the hallway where she deposited him onto the front porch. "Merry Christmas, Cat," she whispered in his ear, and then stepped back inside, shutting the door. "Brr!" she exclaimed, rubbing her arms, and whipped around to face her parents who were just coming into the hall.

"Merry Christmas, Coraline," said Mr. Jones, beaming and wrapping his arm around his wife, who was beaming also.

"Let's get some coffee," shivered Mel. "I'm cold."

The three of them headed into the cluttered but cozy kitchen, where Coraline wrapped her robe tighter around her and slipped into her seat at the kitchen table. She leaned down and switched on the heater that had been placed under the table, letting her feet get warm.

After everyone had finished their serving of coffee (Coraline had gotten hot chocolate instead) they set down their mugs and went off into the living room where the tree was set up to see what "Santa" had brought.

"Ooh!" cried Coraline in delight, rushing forward. She looked inside her stocking, first, which was filled with candy, a new headband, and a pair of fuzzy socks. She found under the tree some new board games, puzzles, a brand new SET of dragonfly hair-clips, a new blanket since her old one had ripped when Coraline stepped on it one morning (AKA the other mother's hand tore it), a Wii game, a purple bike (along with a helmet), some CDs, and a new snow globe. Also –

"Airplane tickets?" Coraline looked up at her parents, confused.

Mel and Charlie beamed at each other. "We're going to Michigan this summer!!" they cried together in unison. "And we're going to stay at Lizzie's house!!" Lizzie was Coraline's best friend from Pontiac.

Coraline gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth. "You didn't!" she cried in shock and surprise, tears welling in her eyes. Then she rushed at her mom and dad and enveloped them in a hug.

Finally, after all the wrapping paper had been thrown away, Coraline put on her boots and raincoat and Day-Glo gloves and headed grumpily outside into Mel's car as they rode to the dreaded and completely awful family reunion.

~*~

"Well, we're here," Mel sighed as Charlie parked the car in front of a cluster of trees. A gravelly path lead straight in front of them.

Coraline peered over the edge of her mother's seat, frowning. "Where's everyone else?" she asked, confused.

Mel pointed to the gravelly path between the clusters of trees. "That path leads towards the cabin. That's where everyone is."

"Oh," Coraline said, disappointed. She had been hoping that they had gotten lost and would just have to go back home.

Coraline pushed the door open and stepped out into the brilliant sunshine of Northern California. It had taken a long time to get there, which was why they had to wake up early that morning. Why her family wanted to meet there, she didn't know, but she liked it. She had never been to California, and it was pretty – she had never seen a place so sunny.

"Mom, why is this thing so far away?" Coraline asked Mel as the three began to walk down the path.

Mel didn't answer at first – she was looking at her pink cell phone. Even in the wilderness, Mom's looking at technology, Coraline couldn't help but think.

"Because," Mel responded, snapping the cell phone shut and slipping it into her purse. "Most of our family members are around from here."

"Oh," said Coraline, frowning. That meant they lived close to them – which meant more family reunions. Oh, joy.

The three walked the rest of the path in silence, until they came to a clearing. The first thing Coraline noticed was the luscious blue water, glistening from the bright, beating sun. As soon as she laid her eyes on it she wanted to kick off her shoes and run pell-mell right into it. But then something else caught her attention.

A huge, wooden cabin stood off to the right, hidden by a few fir trees. The cabin was extremely homey, despite its size, and Coraline thought she might want to live somewhere like it one day.

No, Coraline corrected herself. No, no, no. This is a family get-together. You HATE family get-togethers. Sighing gloomily, Coraline marched inside of the cabin after her parents as if she were on her way to a funeral. She yanked open the door – and she gasped.

The cabin was huge. It had large, leather couches and chairs and pictures of their family hung up on the wall, along with some moose and hog heads, which made Coraline shiver. Off to the left there was a little kitchen section with a long dining table that could fit an army, and over there was a door leading into what Coraline could glimpse as a bedroom. A little bit to the right was a corridor that leads to a different section. Coraline couldn't help but grin to herself. This would be a great place to explore.

"Melissa, Charlie, Caroline!"

Coraline's grin faded.

"It's Coraline, Mom," said Mel, sighing, correcting her mother before Coraline could even open her mouth.

"Yes, yes, that's what I said," Grandmother Jean waved her hand impatiently and kneeled down to meet eye-level with Coraline. "Oh, Caroline it's so good to – what in the world have you done to your hair?" she jumped up in horror. "It's so unnatural! Why – you look like one of those gangster emo teenagers!!"

Coraline scowled and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I do not," she grumbled.

Mel sighed again. "Relax, Mom." She put a hand on her mother's shoulder.

"Melissa, did you allow this?" demanded Jean, looking at Coraline with horror-struck eyes.

Taking a deep breath as if to calm herself, Mel said, "Yes I did. I allowed it because I thought she looked good in blue and it would be a good way to express herself."

"But Melissa, she looks –"

"Fine," Mel spoke sternly towards her mother. "And I go by Mel, Mom. You should know that. You are my mother." There was an angry glint in her eye, and Coraline was surprised by her disrespectful tone.

Jean seemed to think nothing of it. "Whatever," she waved her hand again. "Come on into the kitchen. You did bring the casserole, didn't you?"

Mel sighed again. "Yes, Mom." Mel shoved the casserole towards Charlie and followed after her mother, Charlie stumbling after her. Figuring no one would need a gangster emo teenager in the way, Coraline hurried up to the loft to get some time away by herself before anyone could stop and say hello to her and pinch her cheeks and tell her how tall she was and how she looked so much like a gangster emo teenager.

The loft was cool, Coraline decided as she reached the top of the stairs, shrinking out of the way of everyone's view. It wasn't as big as the rest of the cabin, but it was pretty spacey. The loft was another bedroom, this one with a dresser, a bedside table, and a queen-sized bed. Coraline flopped onto the bed and opened up the drawers to the bedside table beside it. She found a guest book for all of the people who had stayed at this cabin once. Flipping through the book, she decided to add her own entry:

Hi. I'm Coraline Jones and I'm eleven years old and in the sixth grade. I've never been to this place before, or California, for that matter. But we had to come here when our family decided to do another get-together (on Christmas day) here and invited my parents and me to come. Let me just say this – I HATE family reunions, get-togethers, the whole thing. Why? Because my family gets on my LAST. FLIPPIN'. NERVE. Don't believe me? Well, try having to spend an ENTIRE DAY WITH THEM WITHOUT WRINGING SOMEONE'S NECK.

It's not easy.

I suppose this book is supposed to be full of GOOD things about the cabin – and there are, let me tell you that. California is AWESOME. I didn't know any place could be so sunny! And this area is beautiful, too – just looking at the lake makes me want to kick off my shoes and dive into it. Not to mention the actual cabin – it's huge. Although the moose and hog heads on the walls kind of freak me out.

So, the cabin's great.

The family?

Not so much.

~ Coraline Allyson Jones

"Well if it isn't Caroline?"

Coraline jumped, shoved the book under the bed, and looked up. It was Trace, flanked by two of siblings, Daphne and Andrew, along with the Barrys.

She scowled. "Oh, shut up, Trace."

"Make me," he taunted.

"Why are you even here, anyways?" demanded Coraline. "I thought you and your family celebrate Hanukah or something like that." She pronounced it with a short a sound.

"Haaaaahn-ukah," corrected Daphne, frowning and flipping her long chestnut brown hair. Whoa, she is just like another Melanie or Savannah. "And just because we don't celebrate Christmas, doesn't mean we don't get to see our family." She grinned like the angelic angel she wasn't. She moved towards the bed, plopping down right beside her. Coraline inched away. Daphne reached under the bed, pulling out the book. "What do we have here?" she asked mischievously, smirking to herself. She flipped through the pages and rolled her eyes. "Oh. I thought it was something interesting. Oh well." She tossed it to the ground carelessly, and then narrowed her eyes at Coraline. "You'd better pick that up."

Teeth gritted, Coraline replied, "I didn't drop it."

"Yeah you did," said Hannah Barry, her forehead creased in fake confusion. Everyone giggled.

"Yeah, Caroline, aren't you going to pick it up?" Andrew taunted.

"Why don't you pick it up, if you're so special," sneered Coraline, making a face.

"Why should I?" demanded Andrew, snorting. "Compared to you, I'm a senior citizen."

"Great, grandpa," said Coraline bitterly with sarcasm dripping from every word.

Andrew's eyes narrowed. "Very funny. Just pick it up and get it over with."

"Why don't you shut up?" Coraline's fists clenched and a furious glint – just like her mother's – came in her eyes. "You know, you think you're all that, but really you're just a piece of crap on a stick." And with that final word, Coraline shoved past the stunned group of felons and climbed down the stairs. As she walked by, Hadley Barry said, "At least you get a stick," while her little sister Frannie asked, "What's 'crap'?"

Just as she been dreading, Aunt Yolanda grabbed her around the wait and pulled her in to a squeezing bear hug as she reached the floor. Coraline yelped and gasped for breath, trying to push herself away. When Aunt Yolanda finally let go, Coraline's knees wobbled underneath her. "Why, Coraline, look who tall you are!"

"Ow," muttered Coraline, gingerly touching her nose. "I think it's broken."

Ignoring her, Aunt Yolanda moved in on the attack – grabbing her cheeks and pinching them between her chubby fingers. "And you're still so cute, too!"

Coraline didn't even stop herself from groaning.

Leaning back, Aunt Yolanda pursed her lips. "But there's something about you – what is it – oh my! Your hair? What have you done to your lovely brown hair?"

"Uh…I dyed it?" Coraline said in a 'duh' voice.

Aunt Yolanda pursed her lips again. "Well…it's…unique," she said simply. "Let's go with that. But Mel…really…" she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Never mind." Yolanda leaned down so she was at Coraline eye level and wrapped her in a huge bear hug again. "I'm so glad to see you, Caroline," said Yolanda into Coraline's back.

"Cor…aline…" gasped Coraline. Snickers came from the right as Coraline was released. Stumbling she turned to the direction – Trace was standing there, snickering at her suspense. "Ha, very funny," Coraline made a face at him, scowling.

"Oh, there you are, Trace," said Aunt Yolanda, straightening. "Be a dear and take this out to the garbage in the back, won't you?" Aunt Yolanda bent down and picked up a black garbage bag.

Gagging, Trace took the bag, holding it at an arm's length. "What is it?" he gasped. The smell wafted towards Coraline and she gasped, too, quickly covering her mouth with her hands.

"Don't do that, dear, you'll catch pig flu," Aunt Yolanda nudged her niece. Swine flu, Coraline thought, but she didn't bother correcting her. Aunt Yolanda turned back to Trace, answering his question – "It's my casserole. I left it in the car for a bit too long, I'm afraid – so we have to throw it out.

"How come I have to do it?" demanded the eleven-year-old boy, his nose wrinkling as he made another gagging sound.

"Because I trust –" Aunt Yolanda paused, as if she was rethinking her statement. "Because I said so," she said firmly, and shoved him towards the door.

"Ha!" Coraline called after him.

"Oh, shut up," Trace mumbled.

"Caroline!"

Oh, will this never cease? Coraline smiled weakly as Uncle Tim wrapped her in a big bear hug, nearly squeezing the life out of her. She heard a snicker behind her, but when she looked over her shoulder, Trace was gone.

Finally, after everyone had a chance at crushing her, Coraline smiled sweetly and slipped out the door unnoticed. She hesitated on the steps, scanning around to see if anyone was there. When she saw that no one was, she sprinted down the steps and hurried across the yard, and stopped at the lake, where she slipped out of her Rainbows (A/N: What? You think Coraline doesn't wear Rainbows? She does) and dipped her toes into the lake. It was cold, surprisingly, even though it was California. She took her feet out.

Just staring at the lake made her think of Michigan, where she and her parents would take a trip to Lake Michigan every summer. Sometimes, Coraline's best friends, Lizzie and Jake, would tag along with her, but only sometimes. When they did, they would always go to the nearest ice-cream stand and pick out the same thing – fudgesicles, which all three of them enjoyed. Then they would swim for the rest of the time, squealing and fighting over the inner-tubes. Sometimes, Coraline's dad would try to be "funny" and scare them by draping seaweed over his hair and calling himself "the swamp monster." But that was a long time ago.

Coraline sighed, staring longingly at the lake. Lizzie and Jake hadn't emailed since early November. They made excuses like they were busy, but Coraline couldn't help but wonder – what if they were avoiding her?

Coraline sighed again and picked up a rock, skipping it across the lake – another thing she had learned at a trip to Lake Michigan. Her mom had taught her, surprisingly – her mom was the only person in the family that knew how. The rock skipped, just as she expected it to. She smiled weakly and zipped up her jacket – it was getting a little chilly out. She slipped back into her Rainbows and gave the lake one last look before turning around and heading back inside the cabin.

Maybe, when she went to visit Michigan over the summer, things would be the same, just as they always had been.

Coraline stepped inside the cabin, the door creaking shut behind her. "Caroline!" said Aunt Yolanda, beaming. "We were just about to come out and get you. It's gift exchanging time."

All of the grown-ups sat up on the leather couches while the kids huddled on the rug. Hadley, Hannah, Ida, and Frannie Barry sat with Andrew, Daphne, and Trace. Katrina sat off to the side, her brown hair covering her face as she texted, never looking up. Brandon Hawkinson sat in a chair by himself, glaring at random people. And –

"Cora!" Coraline looked down to find herself being squeezed to death by Sarah. Coraline resisted the urge to groan.

"Sarah – cut it out!" she tried to dis-tangle herself, but Sarah just held on tighter. She threw her mom a helpless look, who shrugged in return. Coraline waddled over to a seat on the floor in front of her parents, but Sarah never let go and deposited herself in Coraline's lap, beaming at her. Coraline smiled back weakly.

A huge Christmas tree stood by the fireplace, mounds of presents stacked under it. "Did we get anything for anyone?" Coraline hissed to Mel. She nodded once, and then made a 'shh'ing noise. Coraline rolled her eyes but obeyed.

"Okay, everyone!" said Grandma Jean, standing up. "It's time for the gift-giving. Will the Bakers come up here, please?"

Aunt Yolanda and Uncle Timstood up, and so did Andrew, Daphne, and Trace. Aunt Yolanda nudged Katrina, who sighed and stuffed the phone in her back pocket, standing up too. Coraline couldn't help but notice how she looked like a nicotine addict without a cigarette. The Bakers approached Grandma Jean and she instructed them to get their presents under the tree. They would open each one and the person who had got them it would raise their hands. The kids got basic things – CDs, clothes, stuff like that – and then they sat back down. Aunt Mallory, Uncle Nick, and Sarah were called up next, and Coraline was glad to be free of Sarah for only a little while. Luckily, Sarah was satisfied with her Barbie Dream House and left Coraline to go play with it.

Next she and her parents were called up. Coraline got a new scarf and gloves (from the Barrys), the iCarly soundtrack (from Grandma Jean), a sweater and some new jeans (from the Bakers), two DVDs she had never even heard of (from the Hawkinsons), a computer game (from Aunt Mallory), and more clothes (from other random relatives). Then they went back to sit down, letting the Hawkinsons go, then the Barrys, then some other relatives, and then Grandma Jean and Grandpa George went. Then it was the best part – eating time. Even if Coraline didn't like her family, they did serve great food.

Coraline sat with her parents, which she hated, because they kept on talking to other relatives about the government and global warming, which she had no interest in whatsoever. When they were all done, everyone helped with the dishes, and then the men all went into the living room part of the area to watch TV, the women stayed in the kitchen to talk, and the kids were left to do whatever. Coraline decided to explore the cabin.

First, she explored the door beside the kitchen, which led to an ordinary but vacant bedroom. Then she went down the empty corridor that she had noticed earlier and discovered a bathroom, another bedroom, a spare closet, a washing room, and in the back, another living room area that had a coffee table with magazines, phone books, and the listing of the channel numbers. It also had a couch, a loveseat, and a table, Coraline supposed, for eating at. Sliding glass doors at the front of the room lead to a back porch, and if you climbed down those steps, the backyard, which had a forest. A small TV was in the corner of the room, and a painting of the lake outside hung above the couch.

Without much else to do, Coraline flopped onto the couch and began flipping through a bunch of spare National Geographic magazines she found under the coffee table. She was reading a very neat article about a breed of elephants that could communicate to each other using a type of elephant sign language with she heard the sound of loud tapping. She looked up and noticed rain beginning to tap lightly on the window. The brilliant sun had disappeared. She cocked her head to the side, confused, and set the magazine down, traveling into the corridor and into the kitchen where she found her mother sipping a cup of coffee. "Hey, Mom?" she asked. "Doesn't, California, like, never get rain?"

Mel glanced out the window as the drops hit the glass. She shrugged and sipped her coffee again. "How am I supposed to know? This is Northern California, Coraline. I'm sure it gets rain sometimes."

"Oh," said Coraline. "Well – can I go outside?"

"Sure, I guess." Mel looked up. "You have your raincoat, don't you?"

Coraline raised her eyebrows, as if to say 'duh.'

"Okay, okay," Mel raised her hands up defensively. "Just asking. Don't go too far, okay? Be within calling distance."

"I will," Coraline replied, picking up her raincoat and draping it over her shoulders. She walked back into the other living room area and stepped outside into the light rain, walking down the steps and setting her feet on the soft, springy grass. The backyard wasn't very big, considering they were on a peninsula, but the woods looked very inviting – at least, to Coraline. So she set out into them.

The rain made it sort of depressing, walking through the woods by herself. She walked around muddy streams and climbed across steep banks and across fallen logs over little rivers until she made it to the very end of the peninsula, which was just a slab of beach and lots of lake. A small, mossy log sat there, so Coraline moved over to sit down, a little worn out from the hike through the woods. She gazed out over the lake. It no longer looked inviting or luscious – more like from a scary movie trailer about a girl who drowned in a lake and is back to haunt it.

Finally, Coraline tore her eyes away and began heading back through the woods. She felt kind of strange, like there was something different in the air – and noticed that it had gotten darker gray and the rain was pounding harder. Pulling up her hood, she made it back to the yard and stared up at the cabin again. The rain was pounding even harder and she thought she heard a slight rumbling in the distance. Great, she thought to herself, wonderful Christmas weather. Shaking the droplets from her blue hair, her boots squished against the carpet as she stepped inside. She gently took her boots off and placed them on the mat. Her socks were wet too, so she took those off also, leaving them by her rain boots. Her feet felt cold and lonely as she walked down the hardwood corridor.

She was surprised to find everyone huddled around the TV and her mom and dad wearing a panicked expression as she entered the main living room. "Hey?" she called, confused.

"Oh, Coraline! There you are!" cried Mel, wringing her hands anxiously and wrapping her daughter in a hug – something she rarely did. "We were getting worried. We're on a blizzard watch."

"What?" demanded Coraline, her eyes as wide as saucers. Mel and Charlie led the blue-haired girl over to the TV. It was turned to the weather channel, where the man on the screen was explaining about the severe blizzard that might be heading their way. "What?" repeated Coraline. "But – this is California! It doesn't get snow!"

"Northern California," Andrew corrected her from the floor.

"Whatever," Coraline sneered.

"I know, Coraline," said Charlie. "I was surprised too."

"Who wants some hot chocolate?" Grandma Jean came into the room, a tray of steamy mugs in her hands. "Anyone?"

Coraline grabbed a mug and sipped it. Her body warmed immediately. "Much better," she sighed.

"Looks like we're going to be snowed in," fretted Aunt Yolanda nervously, her eyes never tearing away from the TV. Coraline threw a glance at her cousins, who were all looking at each other horrified. I can't believe I have to be snowed in with these jerks, she thought, groaning.

"Oh no!" cried Aunt Mallory, slapping her hands over her cheeks. "I have an important meeting tomorrow that I can't miss! What am I going to do?" she bit her nails nervously.

"Oh, stop being such a drama queen, Mallory," snapped Mel, narrowing her eyes at her older sister.

"Me?" demanded Mallory, standing up, arms crossed over her chest. "What about you? 'Oh no, my poor Caroline, what if she diiiies!'" Her gaze turned to the eleven-year-old girl. "Does she look dead to you?"

Mel crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at her sister, but it was obvious that Mallory had won. She sat back down, a smug smile on her lips.

"Cora! I'm scared!" Sarah dashed forward, clinging to Coraline like Velcro. She actually groaned this time. "Sarah – GET. OFF." She tried shoving the little girl, but she wouldn't budge.

"Don't treat my daughter like that!" Mallory stood up again, harshly grabbing Sarah's hand and pulling her away from her. She shoved Coraline back – not hard, but hard enough to make her stumble a little.

"Don't shove my daughter like that." Mel stepped in front of Coraline, her eyes narrowed at her sister.

"Oh, shut up, Melissa, no one wants to hear you run your mouth." Mallory snapped, waving her hand.

"Oooooh," said Sarah in a low voice. "Mommy said a bad wooooooooooord."

Oooooh, shut uuuuuup, Coraline thought bitterly.

"I know you did not just go there." Mel stepped forward, hands on her hips, her eyes like tiny slits.

"You bet I did!" snapped Mallory, rolling her neck like some young teenager.

"Ohhh," hissed Brandon Hawkinson. "Cat-fight!" Idiot, Coraline thought, rolling her eyes.

Mel opened her mouth to say more, but then they heard a loud crash as a thunder roared across the cabin. Coraline could imagine herself vibrating. Sarah desperately clung to Coraline's arm but she successfully shook her off. "Girls, girls!" cried Grandma Jean, rushing forward and stepping between her two daughters. "Is this really a need to fight? I mean, come on – it's Christmas!"

Yolanda raised her hand. "Uh…we don't celebrate Christmas. Remember?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Fine. It's the holidays," she said, much to Aunt Yolanda's approval. "And I thought that you two would at least know better to act like this – especially in front of your kids."

Mel and Mallory didn't say anything, their eyes still narrowed. Mallory grabbed Sarah's arm and yanked her to her seat, pulling the little girl onto her lap. Mel sat on the couch, her arms still crossed over her chest and looked extremely miffed. Coraline went over to sit by the TV, which, unfortunately, was next to the Bakers and the Barrys. A bolt of lightning illuminated through the window, causing Coraline to jump and then shiver. "Scaredy-cat," muttered Trace under his breath.

"I am not," Coraline insisted, giving him a glare.

He grinned sarcastically. "Right."

Another bolt of lighting illuminated the dark gray sky. This time, Trace jumped. Coraline snickered. He made a face but made no comment.

"What time is it?" Hannah Barry asked, looking around.

Katrina glanced at her cell phone and spoke for the first time since she had arrived. "5:13 PM."

"Oh. Thanks." Hannah said.

"Sure." Katrina immediately began texting whoever it was that was so important to her again. Daphne and Hadley Barry, who sat beside her, were texting, too. Everyone else remained silent, except for the occasional shifting in seats.

Thunder rumbled from the sky, lightning flashed, and everything went dark.

Sarah let out a high-pitched squeal along with Katrina, Daphne, and the Barrys. Trace, Andrew, and Brandon jumped while Coraline let out a soft shriek. Even some of the grown-ups screamed.

"It's alright, it's alright!" cried Grandma Jean from the darkness. "We have flashlights and candles."

Everyone with a cell phone in the room (which was Andrew, Katrina, and Daphne Baker along with the two twelve-year-old Barry twins and most of the grown-ups) turned it on to use as a light source. The older people without cell phones were handed flashlights (Coraline, Trace, Brandon, and a grown-up), leaving Ida and Frannie Barry and Sarah without flashlights, but already the room was lit up enough. Uncle Henry and Aunt Yolanda helped light a few candles. They cast an eerie glow on the room, making Coraline shiver – and not because of the cold.

Lightning lit up the sky again and Coraline jumped (again).

"Well," fretted Aunt Yolanda. 'This is quite the dilemma."

"You know," spoke up Coraline's dad, speaking for what felt like the first time. "When I was young, my dad always used to say that thunderstorms happened when God was bowling." All of the kids in the room laughed in some way or another, even the Bakers, except for Aunt Yolanda and Uncle Tim, who shifted in their seats, uncomfortable. "Lightning happened whenever God got a strike, and thunder happened whenever God got a gutter ball." Lightning flashed again, making them all squeal. Charlie Jones smiled, the light reflecting off of his glasses. "I was never afraid of thunderstorms again."

"Where'd he get that story from?" Brandon wanted to know.

Charlie shrugged. "I dunno. I always thought he made it up."

"What happened whenever God made a spare?" Sarah spoke up.

Charlie shrugged again. "I dunno," he repeated. "I remember it well, though. I was around five, and my mother was out with her friends. Our dogs were hiding under the couch – oh, were they ever afraid of thunderstorms!" Charlie chuckled. "But so was I. I was just sitting there on the couch, hiding under the blankets, when my dad came in, sat next to me, and told me the story. And I have never not once even jumped at thunder or lightning." Lightning illuminated the sky, thunder following quickly after. Everyone in the room jumped, but Charlie remained motionless. He cracked a grin. "See?" Brandon, Sarah, and Frannie, the youngest Barry, all grinned, but all of the older kids slanted glances – except for Coraline, of course.

"Man, this is so boring!" cried Hadley Barry, letting out a low groan, her long blonde hair swinging back and forth. "My phone just went dead."

Katrina sighed. "Mine too."

"Mine three," added Hannah, Hadley Barry's twin.

"I wish we could, like, watch TV or something," groaned Daphne, sprawling across the floor and glaring at the blank TV screen.

"All you ever think about is TV," snapped Katrina, rolling her eyes. "'Ooh!!'" she imitated. "'Orlando Bloom!! The Jonas Brothers! Miley Cyrus!'" She rolled her eyes again.

"Easy for you to say," Daphne fired back, her eyes narrowed into slits. "All you ever do is text your friends and that dumb boyfriend of yours that always finds an excuse to not go out with you!!"

"Ooooh," Hadley Barry said in a low whistle. "You just got burned!" she cried, snapping her fingers in a sassy diagonal line.

Katrina ignored her cousin, her eyes narrowed. "You little snitch!" she screamed, launching herself across the carpet and falling on top of her sister. Daphne screamed, but she too was quick. She clawed at Katrina's hair and she clawed at her face, pulling down at Daphne's shirt. Before anything was exposed, Daphne popped her finger in her mouth, took it out, and stuffed it in Katrina's ear.

"EEEEEEKK!!" she screamed, jumping off of her sister and jumping up and down in circles. "Eew, eew, eew!"

"Girls!" thundered Aunt Yolanda, stepping between them and grabbing each of them by the wrist – but it was far too late. All too soon, fights were springing up around the room. The Barry sisters were fighting with each other and Brandon, who had accidentally sneezed on Ida Barry. Andrew had knocked into Coraline in a desperate move to get out of the way of his two sisters, causing a fight to spring up between them which Trace made himself involved in. Mel and Mallory had resumed their fighting from before, leaving the rest of the grown-ups (including Coraline's dad) to look around helplessly. Sarah tried clinging to her mother's arm and seeing as that didn't work, began to pester Grandma Jean, who, quite frankly, did not look at all happy about it. The thunder roaring and the hail pounding added to the eerie and dramatic effect of the fighting.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!!!"

Coraline had opened her mouth to show Trace what she really thought about him (something along the lines of "you idiotic jerk") but shut it as a rickety but firm voice sprang up from the crowd. The room fell silent except for the pounding of hail. Everyone's eyes widened as Grandpa George stood up, grasping his cane. It occurred to Coraline that this was the first time he had been heard or seen since everyone had arrived. Still grasping his cane, he hobbled to the front of the room. "George!" Grandma Jean jumped up, arms folded across her chest, eyes narrowed. "Sit down this instant! You'll hurt your back again!!"

"Oh, don't worry, Jean – I ain't afraid of no hurtin'." Finally he stopped in the center of the room, staring down at the crowd gathered in front of him. No one said a word – everyone wanted to hear what this old man wanted to say. Behind her, Hadley, Hannah, Daphne, Katrina, and Andrew were trying to look like they weren't interested, but anyone could see they were just as captivated as everyone else in the room. "Now," said Grandpa in his raspy but firm voice after a moment's pause. "When I was a boy, we didn't have no TV, computers, or that sort o' thing. All we had was the radio – and lemme tell you that radio wuz nothin' worth lookin' at – and our voices. And lemme just tell you this – we came out just fine. And it was all thanks to my father.

"Ya see, my dad was a lot like this here young man's dad," Grandpa continued, nodding to Coraline's father.

"It's Charlie," he spoke up softly.

"Did I ask you what yer name was?" demanded Grandpa, white eyebrow raised. Charlie shook his head, looking sheepish. Grandpa rolled his eyes and continued, "Anyway. My dad was a lot like his. They were both very fond of story tellin', and then my mother was always singing. Together, we never got bored – even when the radio wasn't working. Why, my friends always wanted to hang out at my house cuz my mother and daddy was always makin' them laugh." He paused to smile. "And if we could do it, so can y'all. Your just lucky I'm here to make it easy with a little story-telling." He winked in Coraline's direction and she blinked, startled. Maybe her grandpa wasn't so bad. "So I'm gonna tell you the most important story I've been told." He cleared his throat and continued, "The Christmas story."

The Bakers shifted in their seats uncomfortably, having not celebrating Christmas, but even Aunt Yolanda was silent as Grandpa George explained each story with relish detail, not missing a single important fact. He described the shock upon everyone when they found the great Christ a small baby in a manger that day. He described the despairing hearts of Mary and Joseph when they realized this special baby was to be born along with the smell of animal droppings. He described the glory of the angels, and most importantly, the glory of Jesus. And when he was finished, everyone applauded, even the Bakers. "Now," said Grandpa George. "Yolanda, why don't you come up here and tell us a little bit about your Hanukkah history." He winked.

Yolanda blinked in surprise but then smiled. "Of course," she said, standing up and walking to the front of the room. Grandpa George took a seat in the empty armchair behind her.

It was clear that Grandpa George had passed down the art of story-telling, because no one broke contact with her, either, as she began her story – not even her children. She explained each detail so wonderfully that Coraline thought she was really there, and the experience gained her much more knowledge about the Jewish religion.

But only a few minutes after she had finished her story and resumed her place in her seat, the whining began. Brandon was hungry, Daphne wanted TV, Katrina wanted her cell phone, Sarah wanted some juice, and everyone else just wanted plain OUT OF THERE. Coraline and Hannah Barry exchanged exasperated glances, even though Coraline didn't like her much. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed and the hail got louder, causing everyone in the room to jump.

"Hey!" Grandma Jean jumped up, clapping to get everyone's attention. "Everyone be quiet!!" Except for some whispering here and now, everyone resumed silent, but you could feel the irritated ness in the air. "You know, my father is right. We don't need cell phones or computers or TV or juice to keep us occupied!! We've all listened to a good share of stories, haven't we? So why don't we…" her voice trailed off. "Sing?" she suggested.

"MILEY CYRUS!" Sarah squealed, all thoughts of juice gone.

"JONAS BROTHERS!"

"SELENA GOMEZ!"

"KELLEY CLARKSON!"

"LADY GAGA!"

"JENNETTE MCCURDY!"

Grandma Jean paused, hand on her chin, as though thinking, and then a smile lit up her face. "Okay. If you know the words, just sing along." All of her kids groaned, but that didn't stop her as she began to sing, "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart/But the very next day, you gave it away/This year/To save me from tears/I'll give it to someone special…"

She glared meaningfully at her three daughters, son, and husband sitting on the sofa, which were all beet red. But Grandma Jean cleared her throat and the two continued to sing, "Last Christmas/I gave you my heart/But the very next day/you gave it away/This year/To save me some tears/I'll give it to someone special,"

Grandpa George and Aunt Yolanda joined in on the second verse. "Once-bitten and twice shy/I keep my distance but you still catch my eye/Tell me, maybe, do you recognize me/well, it's a new year, it doesn't surprise me…"

Most everyone in the room began to sing, and if they didn't, they clapped to the beat instead. But even Mel joined in on the chorus, "Last Christmas/I gave you my heart/But the very next day/You gave it away/This year/To save me some tears/I'll give it to someone special!"

Everyone applauded after the song ended, and Grandma Jean blushed. "So, what next?" But before anyone could open their mouths to suggest something, music blared behind Coraline. She whipped around, startled, and saw that Hadley Barry had her phone on. She showed the screen to Coraline. Across the top it read, "You Belong With Me." Under it was the name 'Taylor Swift.'

Daphne, Katrina, all the Barrys, and all of the other girls in the room (besides Coraline and Sarah) jumped up and began singing along with the words, and eventually Coraline found herself humming softly along. The grown-ups in the room just bounced their legs or clapped (or tried to clap) to the beat.

You're on the phone with your girlfriend

She's upset

She's goin' off about something that you said

She doesn't get your humor like I do

I'm in the room it's a typical Tuesday night

Listenin' to the kinda music she doesn't like

She'll never know your story like I do

She wears short skirts

I wear t-shirts

She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers

Dreamin' 'bout the day when you wake up and find

That what you're lookin' for has been here the whole time

Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you

Been here all along, so why can't you

See? You belong with me!

You belong with me

Coraline began singing halfway through the song, her grin spread from ear to ear. Then Aunt Yolanda led them into the Hanukkah song that went, "Shining so brightly, reminding us nightly, the wonders of days long ago…", and finally, they all began to sing, smiles wide, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." And just as they were finishing the last verse, the lightning stopped, the thunder silenced, and the hail and blizzard turned into a peaceful and crystal-like snow.

"Look!" Sarah screamed, breaking off mid-verse and pointing out the window. Snow was falling all over the place and everyone crowded around the window to see the snow settling across grass.

The lights turned back on and the buzz of the TV told them that it was working soon. But Coraline doubted that anyone else noticed – if they did, they didn't care.

"Last one out is a turd!" cried Brandon Hawkinson, dashing out the door. Usually Coraline would've thought that was the stupidest thing she had ever heard, but now, she didn't really care. Everyone made a mad dash to the door and Coraline barely made it out alive, but as soon as she did, she fell into the snow and began making a snow angel. This was the most beautiful snow she had ever seen – much better than the muddy slush back in Oregon. Coraline hopped up to admire her work and grinned, which was cut off with a scream as she felt something cold slither down her back. She whipped around and found Andrew standing there, grinning. His siblings stood behind his back, laughing like crazy. Coraline scowled – but it was a friendly one.

"Haha, very funny." She rolled her eyes. Then she screamed, "OMG, look! Ryan Seacrest!" All four of her normally bratty cousins whipped around, giving the blue-haired girl enough time to lob a snowball at the back of Andrew's head. "Ow!" he cried, turning around and rubbing his neck.

The next few hours were a blur of madness as everyone began lobbing snowballs at each other. Even the grown-ups came out to join. The sight of her mom laughing with her sisters and brother brought a smile to Coraline's face.

"So," Coraline turned to see Trace standing next to her. "That wasn't as bad as expected, was it?"

"Hmm…" Coraline said, as if she were trying to think. A mischevious grin appeared upon her face and before her cousin could protest she shoved a snowball in her face.

"Auugh!" he cried, wiping it away. "You…little…" he spluttered and Coraline ran around the yard to avoid her extremely angry cousin.

After a while, everyone began to wind down, and Coraline was the last person outside. She had built a small, lumpy looking snowman about two feet high but someone had kicked it down earlier. Piles of snow that were supposed to be forts were stacked all around the yard and some spots had snow, others didn't. You could still see faint traces of snow angels embedded in the fluffy white. And as Coraline was sitting, admiring all of this, it suddenly occurred to her what Christmas was about.

Family.

Coraline's eyes strayed towards the window and she noticed for the first time a cross hanging in the window.

No. It wasn't about family. It was about something much more than that.

"Coraline! Come in! We've gotta go before it gets really dark!!" Coraline's mother's voice called from the cabin.

Coraline strayed her eyes away from the window. "Coming, Mom!" Giving it one last look, she ran back inside, her feet crunching in the snow. She flung open the door and stepped inside, where everyone was crowded around the living room, watching sports.

"You ready?" asked Mel.

Coraline opened her mouth to reply, but then shut it again. "Almost," she said, a smirk on her lips. Then she (willingly) went up to all of her relatives, hugged them, and wished them happy holidays. Well, except for her cousins. She may not hate them as much as she used to, but she didn't like them quite that much.

"See you next year?" Daphne asked, a small smirk on her lips as Coraline stopped to say goodbye to her cousins.

Coraline glanced over her shoulder at her parents, who were standing there, looking awed. Then she turned back to Daphne, grinning. "Possibly."

And as she and her parents got into the car, Mel said in an awed sort of voice, "That was…very kind of you, Coraline."

Coraline grinned. "Well," she said, trying not to laugh. "It is the kind thing to do, after all."

And for the first time in her life, Coraline couldn't wait to see her family again next year.

~*~

A/N: The end!! So, did you like? Hate? I didn't like the ending much, but you tell me what you think!!

Oh yeah, BTW, I will be making a fic about Coraline going to visit Michigan over the summer, but that won't happen for a while. It'll be a chapter fic. :)

These are the songs that I used in this fic (paste the links into the URL boxes without the spaces):

Last Christmas – WHAM: http:// www. youtube. com/watch?v=hZhoF9Isf0o

You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift: http:// www. youtube. com/ watch? v=VuNIsY6JdUw

Hanukkah song: http:// www. youtube. com/watch?v=pRJzPJVzAy0&feature=related

Hark the Herald Angels Sing: http:// www. youtube. com/ watch?v=wbdvo019mgM

Please leave a review!! I'll give you virtual holiday cookies!! All you have to do is press the silver and green button at the bottom of the screen. Click it!! You know you want to!!

Au revoir!! Happy holidays!!

~ Cora ~