"Merry Christmas...From Crossroads"
Notes: After my last batch of Dawn of the Dead fanfics I had a cute idea for a holiday tale from Crossroads mall. I hope you enjoy this one; you will have to use your imagination since they weren't around the mall in December. I guess this is a bit cheesy but who knows lol. I also want to again thank stayhooper (who's fics have me glued to this site! lol) Merry Christmas!
Ana watched as Monica ran from one store to the next filling up a wooden basket the sexy blonde had found earlier in one of those beauty stores. Ana always knew Monica was full of life but she wasn't sure what the need for her speed shopping was today.
Walking over to Ana who had been drinking coffee at Hollowed Grounds Terry laughed. "What's up with her?" he asked. "Not sure," Ana said taking a sip of her fresh made coffee. "I think the cold weather has gotten to her." Terry laughed again over Ana's comment before leaving to find Nicole.
Monica came back from her "shopping" an hour later full of green and red colored papers in her hair and a tried look on her face. "What happened to you?" Ana asked seeing how disorganized the blonde sexpot looked. Monica took a seat on a stool around small cafe and put her head down "Ah! I was in the storerooms digging out the Christmas stocks in the back of the stores." She said. Christmas stuff? Why would she do that? Ana asked herself. Then it came to her, it was late December! Was Monica trying to get in the holiday mood? "You dug in storerooms? Somehow that seems so unlike you..." Ana commented trying to figure out the other woman. "Yeah, I have a thing for Christmas," Monica said with a smile. "Plus I think we could all use some holiday cheer in our lives!"
Never seeing Monica so cheerful and willing to work up a sweat, Ana smiled and let her continue telling her about what she found and what she didn't. "The good thing is I found a tree!" Monica said with sparking eyes. "But I couldn't find ornaments in any store. I guess they didn't have everything stored away...but-" Monica was cut her off by Ana "But you came up with a plan for that?" Ana asked her. "Yeah kind of...what do you think of earrings and key chains and stuff? Kind of ghetto but it could work."
"That will work" Ana said standing up from her seat at the counter. "I'll leave you to plan and stuff...if you need any help let me know, okay?" she told the other woman. Monica smiled and started to curl her hair "Thanks hun Ill take you up on that. But hey don't tell everyone okay? I want them to be surprised." Shaking her head yes Ana agreed and left to finish a book she started the other night in Book Mark the malls only book store. She couldn't stop herself from thinking of how things were last December when her husband Luis was still alive and she went with him shopping at this mall. She could remember the people walking inside it looking at the newest fashions in store windows, children running around looking for toys, and the heavy coats and scarves everyone wore in the cold weather. All was peaceful and joyful... and Ana didn't blame Monica for trying to bring those feelings back to their small group, in fact she wanted to see it come true.
"What are you reading?" A voice asked Ana as she jumped, scared by the voice. "Sorry to scare you" it was Michael. "No its okay. I was just thinking of last Christmas..." she told him. "Whys that?" he asked talking a seat next to her. "Well you may not remember but its in a few days and -don't tell- but Monica wants to celebrate it as a surprise" Ana told the handsome man she came to trust, knowing fully he wouldn't spoil Monica's "secret." At first he didn't respond. Ana guessed he was as shocked as she was that it was December already and almost the 25th!
"Oh" he said with a smile. "Just oh?" Ana asked with her own grin. "I had a job here as Santa Clause one year" Michael told her. Ana broke out with a laugh "Really?" she asked. She tried to stop her laughing outburst, but couldn't with the thought of Michael dressed as the jolly old man. "I loved the job because I love kids...their always thinking." He said now laughing with her. "Just like you" Ana told him. He let out a small nervous laugh at her comment. The nurse knew he would do things like that whenever someone would say "Good work Michael" or "Good idea...why didn't I think of that?" she found his embarrassment cute, but didn't express any of it to him, or anyone else for that matter. "Anyways Monica's party is good idea for everyone to unwind and be together" Michael picked up their conversation again.
Making a face, Ana joked. "If that's a good idea...together with Steve for to long can get on your nerves a bit!"
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The next day at dinner Monica stood up and waited for everyone's attention. "Excuse me I have something to say!" she told the small group who sat around a table eating dinner. Ana figured Monica wanted to tell them her X-Mas plans and she was right. "Many of you have been asking what I've been doing the past few days... and what im doing is putting together a Christmas party thing for us!" she told them, glowing with a huge smile.
There wasn't a word from the group. Everyone was silent, and then they all started to look at each other and chatted about what Monica had just told them. "Well?" she asked. "What do you think?" Steve laughed and spoke up. "Guess your plans were for nothing, who the hell wants to have a party when there are fucking dead people outside" He took a drink of whine and laughed again.
Monica was stunned...no one said anything positive about her hard work...not even Norma who she thought of as a friend. And now that asshole Steve made her feel like a five year old. Tears built up in her eyes but she wasn't going to let them fall. She never wanted anyone to see her cry! And to think she wanted to change things with the others, make them see she was a nice person...but nice girls always lose "Fuck you Steve!" she told him spinning around, about to leave.
"I think it's a great idea..." a voice said from the table she just turned to leave. She pushed back her tears and turned back to see Michael smiling at her kindly. "We all need a break. Thanks for doing it Monica." he told her. Following his lead, Ana added. "Yeah and that idea you told me about with the key chain ornaments? I found some for you at the card shop" Are they just being nice? Monica asked herself. Even if they were she wanted a Christmas, and she was going to give herself one! "Really? Thanks hun" she told Ana with a small smile trying to mask her unhappiness.
"I'm excited" Nicole told Monica. "Me too!" Terry side more to Nicole then anyone else. "Did you hear that Chips? Were having Christmas!" Nicole told her friendly dog. Chips barked when she told him the news. "Guess I have one more person to add to the banquet" Monica said with a laugh. Chips barked again and Nicole scratched his head and gave him a small kiss on the head. "I have a tree." Monica told them.
"We could use some of the string lights from the gift stores window to light it." Michael sent his idea around the table. "And what about a star or Angel for the top? There was an Angel doll in the baby store, Carousel!" Nicole added. "Great guys! Keep it up!" Monica told them sitting back down with the group.
It was funny... as soon as she told them she had a tree everyone else seemed to think the idea was better. Almost as if the tree made it all the more real to them, more of a real Christmas. Well it helped but not in the case of Steve and Glen. The older, balding Glen didn't believe in God, so therefore didn't celebrate the holiday. "But you worked in a church dude" Monica told him. "I was there to play the organ." he told her. Monica looked over to the end of the table where Steve sits, she guessed to show he was the head of the group, which was so far from the truth, but whatever got his rocks off. He shook his head. "Well Monica baby if you cant see these people are just trying to make you feel better your blind and loose" he told her. "Hey, hey now Steve cut it out" Michael told the dark haired man. Norman gave him a sharp look and told him to leave the discussion if he was not going to keep it positive. So he left in a huff.