A Very Mannequin Christmas: Journey To The Heart

Created by: Rhonda Petrie

Summary: It is almost Christmas Eve; the spell is broken, Emmy and Jonathan Switcher have been married for about two years since the preceding events of the original movie, and business is now booming at Claire Timkin's Prince & Co. thanks to Jonathan's exceptional skills as a visual merchandiser alongside Hollywood Montrose, the effeminate, flamboyant and fashion and media sensitive black employee who is a good friend of Jonathan's and his newlywed wife Emmy, aka Princess Ema Heshire, who would not only come help Jonathan and Hollywood whenever she would drop by at the department store, but she also works at a fashion design store just around the corner from Prince & Co. But then Emmy, Jonathan Switcher, Claire Timkin and Hollywood Montrose go on a wild adventure on the eve of Christmas Eve, (excuse the pun) when they discover and find a lonely 7-year-old girl by the name of Mallory Olestra left all alone in the snowy, stormy weather looking for her parents.

While a search for the missing Olestras is underway, (courtesy of Claire Timkin, who had filed a missing person's report to the local police department), Mallory is taken in by the employees of Prince & Co. and soon it is revealed that she possessed, mystical, powerful abilities: she can communicate with any mannequin she desired and also conjure and summon mannequins and other inanimate, nonliving objects to life, aside from having limited telekinetic abilities that allow her to use pyrokinesis, (the ability to start fires with your mind), transfer heat from her body to others in order to heal them, and also lift objects and people with ease, among other things. Despite of her predicament and the fact that she was all alone in the world with no one to turn to but her parents, Mallory manages to put a spell on everything she touches and enchants the entire store with the spirit of Christmas. Unfortunately, B.J. Wort, who is the owner of Illustra that had hired Roxie Shield, Jonathan's ex-girlfriend, her right hand man Armand, Mr. Richards, the former supervisor of Prince & Co., and Capt. Felix Maxwell, the former security guard of the renownly prestiguous department store who still owns his American bulldog Rambo, gets wind of news about a strange and mysterious girl that currently sojourns in the rivaling Prince & Co. and decides to profit off her by kidnapping her and using her powers to fortify and boost up his own business and supercede the success of Prince & Co. by using his new minions to ruin the business and contaminate the spirit and joy of Christmas with his own greed. Will the gang stop B.J. Wort from letting his unadulterated greed destroy everyone's dreams and wishes in what is supposed to be the most joyous day of the year?

A/N: Mallory is Old French for unlucky or unhappy and in Germanic also means army consultant. The name can also mean wild spirit. Considering that this girl is in a very scary and frightening situation where she has to put her life into strangers' hands in what was supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year and her telekinetic powers most likely hindered her ability to make any friends, I think the name really makes sense. Her father's name is also named Marcus Olestra and her mother's name is Lusinda Olestra. Anyways I hope you like my story as I start to write it and I also hope you enjoy it. Any tips on how to improve my story are accepted and constructive criticism is always appreciated, (please no bluntly rude reviews I beg of you!)

Here written below is a summary detailing and explaining the events that occured in the original movie as to give an idea of what the characters are like and how this movie may be somewhat related to this story. It's best to start off this story with the summary of the movie because of the fact that some of the readers in this website may not be familiar with the movie or its characters and through this summary you can get acquainted with the characters and you can get an idea of their personalities and what roles they played in the movie. I'll try to be as descriptive and elaborate as possible while conveying the basic storyline of the movie while trying not to ruin the movie for those of you who haven't seen it. The information written in bold italics takes place in the past and can be thought of as some sort of flashback device while the succeeding information written in normal font takes place in the present, meaning that after the summary of the original events of the movie is told in past perspective, the story should officially begin. I apologize if my summary will ruin the whole plot of the movie for anyone that may care to see it; see the movie anyway if you feel that I have not done a good job retelling the original events of the film in my own words as I tried to explain the story as best as I can.

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In the original events of Mannequin, Jonathan Switcher was an ordinary man with creative talents that had been fired for every job he had undertaken. Every time he would be hired for a certain job, a haphazard mishap would occur or a rather unfortunate occurrence would transpire that would result in him making a fatal mistake that would ultimately cost him his job. It wasn't until one stormy night that Jonathan stopped by at a local store when his motorcycle broke down and he was stranded out in the pouring, drenching streets with nowhere to turn and no ride to catch; he then glanced around to see the mannequin he had created in one of his previous, brief jobs and then leaps off his motorcycle and dashes to the window to view at his creation. He was immediately entranced and enamored with his creation and marveled at how it was the first time in a long time he had ever actually created anything while trying to communicate with her, seemingly hoping that she would reply back. Jonathan was then disappointed to find that the mannequin did not respond back to him and then trudges back to his motorcycle, not knowing that the flash of light that illuminated the mannequin may suggest something of a magical nature. He then starts the engine of the motorcycle with the turn of the handle and was astonished to find that the motorcycle that seemed to shut down on him moments before was now firing up with lively vigor once more; ecstatic and enthused with his astounding progress, he then drives up into the night with an extra sprint of boost in his speed.

The next day Jonathan happened to be walking by a department store that was having its premiere opening and all of the workers were making preparations for that special event, with a couple of workers busy hoisting up a sign reading "!00th Anniversary" to its proper place. He then runs into an elderly woman who was unusually tiny and petite for her size and who also had cinnamon/garnet/tangy hair. The woman then revealed herself as Claire Timkins who had just become the new owner of the department store, which was called Prince Company, due to the fact that her father had recently passed away of a heart attack while shopping in the woman's department, looking for lingerie. Just then, one of the workers stumbled onto a pile of boxes sitting onto the ground while trying to pull up the sign onto the exterior of the store and then loses his grip onto the rope he was holding on to, causing the sign to plummet towards the ground in a swinging motion right into Claire Timkin's path; Jonathan then immediately recognizes that Claire was in immediate danger and then escorts her out of the way near the entrance of the building before the oncoming sign crashes right into him and then Jonathan was clinging onto the object for dear life as he rocks to and fro in the air as Claire tries to get some information from him. After a brief exchange in which Jonathan tells her his name and informs her that he was looking for a job, Claire then informs him that he was hired. Jonathan then muses to himself that today must be his lucky day before an exposed electrical wire zaps him in the rear and he cries out in pain.

Claire Timkins then gives him a tour of the department store while divulging some intriguing and trivial information, including an offhand comment about Greta Garbo. She then explains to him that she practically grew up in the store that her father used to run and then Jonathan comments to her that he doesn't get much sleep at night. "Neither have I, not since I've been in charge for the last two weeks. I just don't know how we're going to make this store great again!" Claire Timkins retorted lamentably and then bemoaned about the current deplorable state the store was in. "Well I'm sure things will pick up by lunch. By the way, what time do we open?" Jonathan Switcher reassured her confidentially and as he started to walk away he turned around and imposed another question to her. "We are open," Claire Timkins murmured dejectedly and in a melancholic manner, not even looking at him with a forlorn expression on her face.

In the meantime, Mr. Richards was speaking to someone on the phone when he was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of Jonathan Switcher and Claire Timkins. Claire Timkins then interjected to Mr. Richards as she approached his desk, "Mr. Richards, do you know what that young man just did?" After Mr. Richards responded with a snobbish, priggish comment, Claire Timkins then returned with a patient, cordial, professional tone, "He saved my life. Let's show him our gratitude. Take good care of him." And with that she then saunters out of Mr. Richards' office where the young man was left alone with the standoffish, aloof, distant, reserved, impassive, snooty, stuck-up supervisor. It was then that Mr. Richards decided to give Jonathan a job. "I have just the job for you," he replied with a curt smile.

Jonathan was then promptly hired as a stock boy to monitor and manage thousands of merchandise worth hundreds and thousands of dollars. As he starts off on a fresh, clean state on his first day on the job, he was rummaging through a box of panties as he phoned in his then-girlfriend Roxie Shield on the exciting news. She was surprised to hear that she got a new job while Jonathan coolly suggested that they go out to dinner to celebrate and upon uttering the word "panties" as he tried to explain to Roxie on what his occupation consists of, Roxie's right hand man Armand jumped at the word, for he has an inclination to be horny and perverted. Roxie then rebuffs him disdainfully by striking him. Then when she hangs up, Armand then accosts and hounds her on her boyfriend and was being very sordidly candid with his comments, at which repulsed and turned off Roxie; afterwards the moment Armand attempted to make a pass at her Roxie disgustedly strikes him again in snide contempt and fiercely reproaches him by saying that they are merely business partners and nothing more. Armand was bitterly let down by that. Later on that day, Jonathan was staring at the very mannequin he had created during one of his brief stints at one of his various occupations and was studying his creation very carefully as he examined her facial features and marveled at how he could create a figure like that. He was then met with an effeminate, flamboyant, sensitive, sentimental, and eccentric black man by the name of Hollywood Montrose who had a keen sense for fashion and the media and always viewed himself as some sort of pseudo-celebrity. Hollywood was instantly fascinated and dazzled by Jonathan's peculiar idiosyncrasy and even informed him that he thought he was the only employee with strange and odd, quirky attributes; he then eventually left Jonathan to his own devices.

Suddenly the mannequin emerged into life right in front of his eyes and Jonathan was startled and jolted to the point where he staggered and scurried over to the back of the window with a start while cursing under his breath. The mannequin then introduced herself as Princess Ema Heshire, alas Emmy, and enlightened the young man with the story of her life on how her parents wanted her to marry a man she didn't love and was itching to have some fun around the department store, with a frazzled and bemused Jonathan trailing after her. Jonathan was bewildered and perplexed by Emmy's fun-loving, spirited, animated manner and really thought he was hallucinating as Emmy explored the vast areas of the department store and checked out a number of its accessories, including a nail gun. On the other hand though, Jonathan didn't really mind her company, and as he spend a number of hours with the peculiar, young woman, he neglected to show up on his promised date with Roxie, who fumed and sulked in her house while sitting and lying on her couch in an exasperated and irritated mood waiting for Jonathan to show up, which he never did.

The next morning, a livid and incensed Roxie storms out of Illustra while Armand beeps his horn to get her attention and grins at her suggestively. "Roxie! You look so foxy!" he crooned and growled to her seductive but then Roxie snapped at him angrily as she entered the car with a rather cross and irate facial expression, "Can it, Armand." Just then, Jonathan skids to a halt next to the car as he called out Roxie's name. "Roxie!" he cried out to her and then Roxie glanced over her shoulder to glower at him. She then chided and rebuked him for having stood her up on their date while Jonathan tried to explicate to her of the events from the night before. Roxie then speeds off away from Jonathan without another word. Sometime later, disturbed and baffled by the proceedings of the previous night, Jonathan phoned his parents and asked them on whether he did any peculiar and abnormal thing during his childhood. In the meantime, B.J. Wort, the prestigious and renowned owner of Illustra, was taking a walk with Roxie and was elucidating to her on how if he were to move up the social level in business someone had to replace him and that he was choosing her to take his place. Just then, a man rushed over to B.J. and in an excited and exuberant, animated voice was rambling about the latest display on the window in the Prince Company department store and as he prattled and blathered on he had seen, a displeased and annoyed B.J. clenched and gripped on his tie and then wordlessly tightened it with his hands, subtly silencing the man as he peered right into the disgruntled and petulant businessman's face. Then as B.J. quickly marched off, the man then turned to Roxie and then enthusiastically chattered to her about the dazzling and spectacular display. Then, as Hollywood and Jonathan were working on yet another project, Hollywood confided in him on how his boyfriend had called him "cellulite city" and was greatly upset and hurt by that comment. Jonathan then honestly replied to him that he saw nothing wrong with his body.

In the first days in the employ of Ms. Timkins at the Prince Company department store, Jonathan also made acquaintance with Capt. Felix Maxwell, the local security guard who owned an American bulldog named Rambo, "because he likes to draw… first blood", as Felix liked to say with an intimidating sneer. Rambo then barked in response. Jonathan then explained that he was the new stock boy and then went off on his merry way, with Felix immediately formulating suspicions in his mind, surmising that Jonathan was up to no good. He vows to keep a close eye on the boy. Meanwhile, Mr. Richards is on the phone with B.J. Wort, talking to him, and B.J. Wort informs the supervisor coolly and placidly that he needs a replacement when he goes up a whole new level from being owner of Illustra. Mr. Richards then notifies him about Jonathan and then B.J. immediately explodes as he continued to try to calmly explain himself. "How did you learn how to kiss ass like that? Did you take a class?" he snarled brusquely and snidely to his fellow colleague. And as Mr. Richards and B.J. Wort continued on with their conversation, B.J. orders Mr. Richards to not let Jonathan ruin all of their carefully laid plans.

Soon Claire Timkins had a meeting assembled about the failing business and the decision of what to do about the upcoming sale of the department store and whether or not the store should be sold to B.J. Wort. It was also presumably about Jonathan. Hollywood was agitated and aggravated about the meeting and did not want Jonathan to be fired, while Jonathan impassively and indifferently informed him that businesspeople do not care much for creativity. Hollywood then announced that he had no choice but to take drastic measures, and then he began to remove his clothes by undressing in front of Jonathan and then he was revealed to be wearing a plaid grey business suit with a black tie while still wearing his glasses. Hollywood also told Jonathan not to tell anybody about what he had done for the sake of his reputation. After Jonathan addressed another comment to him, Hollywood then immediately made a decision and then enlightened Jonathan that the headline would be "If Jonathan is fired, Hollywood flies" and then lunges for the window to demonstrate his point, at which Jonathan grabs him from behind and tries to pull him away from the window; this resulted in them tumbling to the ground and Jonathan toppling right on top of Hollywood. The two men then got to their feet and Jonathan tried to get some sense into the young black man.

At the meeting Mr. Richards tried to make his point across while Claire Timkins also attempted to propose a solution of her own and then expressed her sentiments on how she did not want to sell the store to the nefarious, insidious and unscrupulous B.J. Wort. "Well, 10% is better than bankruptcy," one of the board members pointed out to Ms. Timkins. But then another board member said that Claire Timkins was right and suggested that they postpone the sale for another week. "I second that motion," replied another board member. "All approve?" A female board member made a decisive inquiry out of everyone and then almost every one of the board group raised their hands in approval. "All opposed?" a male board member posed another question to everyone and only Mr. Richards raised his hand. Claire Timkins then rose to her feet and announced while beaming, "This meeting is adjourned." Then everyone dispersed and flooded out of the meeting room and then Jonathan slipped into the room and then Claire Timkins approached him with a smile. She then notified him that he had been just promoted to visual merchandiser and Jonathan was elated. She then went on to encourage him to keep up on what he was doing. Jonathan then hesitated and tentatively explained to the old woman that he felt that he may not be able to repeat what he did the night before and that it might have been a one-time inspiration. "Don't doubt yourself; go for it, feel it. Just keep on doing the job that you were meant to do," she encouraged and supported him and as she ambled out of the meeting room, Mr. Richards then directed a snide, curt comment towards Jonathan as he walked out of the room as well. Jonathan then jumped into the chair that Claire Timkins previously sat on with an overjoyed hoot and then lay back contentedly while putting his feet up on the table.

In the meantime, Mr. Richards was strolling in the hallway when he ran right into Felix and his dog Rambo. Mr. Richards then proceeds to tell Felix about Jonathan and his recent promotion to visual merchandiser and then also requests that he keep a close eye on him and inspect his every move. "Oh, his M.O.? Would you like that in a written report?" Felix addressed him in an intrigued and interested tone. Then he cast a glimpse down at Rambo with a smug half-smirk before replying portentously, "No, I think Rambo will do it." Rambo then barked in response. Then after Mr. Richards departs for his destination, Felix and Rambo then went off to embark on the clandestine mission that Mr. Richards had assigned them. Meantime, Jonathan stepped into the window display looking for Emmy and then after hearing no reply for the immobile, lifeless mannequin, he then concluded it was his imagination as he pulled down the curtains in sideways before Emmy reappeared before him once again. "Emmy, you're back!" he cried in an overjoyed voice. "Well, my boyfriend Chris didn't have any confidence either," Emmy rejoined to him as she walked off to sit down on an edge. "Chris? Who's Chris?" Jonathan enquired her quizzically. "I told him the world was round and never saw him again," Emmy explicated to him plaintively as she plopped down on the edge while gazing at him in reminiscence. "Christopher Columbus? You knew Christopher Columbus?" Jonathan exclaimed in a shocked and disbelieving, skeptical voice as a wave of realization dawned on him. "Uh huh," Emmy cooed in an as-a-matter- of-fact tone while pointedly straightening up her red lady hat. "You don't by any chance know Michelangelo?" Jonathan ventured with more questions as he approached the young enchanted princess suspiciously. Emmy then tried to think for a moment before she suddenly remembered Michelangelo. "Well he wasn't very interesting. He was with some guy named David," she paused for a moment as she spoke while lost in her recollection and then nodded slightly to confirm that fact. Jonathan was stunned and mortified to hear this come out of his lady friend's mouth and then said to her in a stupefied voice, "You're kidding." "Were you there?" Emmy retorted to him challengingly as she sauntered off with a smug expression on her face.

Jonathan and Emmy then entered a room where there were numerous stereos abound, and the two friends were conversing into each other when Jonathan was suddenly entranced by the young woman's beauty and leaned in to kiss her; Emmy then consequently toppled backwards, startled by the sudden change in her movement, and landed on one of the stereos behind her, while accidentally pushing one of the buttons and causing the music to start playing. "Where are all of the musicians?" Emmy gasped as she started from where she had fallen and then in no time at all started to dance to her feet and it wasn't long before she and Jonathan started up on a grand adventure. The two young friends soon embarked on a wild ride of their lives. They both each dressed up in a variety of outfits dating from different time periods ranging being some guy clad in a heavy trench coat and holding a guitar in his hands while wearing sunglasses and Emmy was dressed up to look like Tina Turner, especially with her frizzy, outlandish, wild, puffy hair; Jonathan then pretended he was a maestro pianist a la Phantom of the Opera style playing an organ piano on the balcony of the store while Emmy stood on the other side clad in a slender, skinny sapphire blue dress and was posing for the camera. The two young friends then went on many wild adventures together while exploring in a vast role playing game and enjoying each other's company. When they returned to the stereo room they continued to dance and frolic with each other and as Jonathan performed a spin as he continued to sway and rock into the music he did not notice Hollywood coming in from the left and then from the corner of his eye he finally noticed his friend and greeted him with a friendly hello.

"Oh hey, Hollywood. I would like you to meet someone; Hollywood this is Em…" Jonathan started as he attempted to introduce Hollywood to Emmy but when he veered around to look at her, Emmy had reverted back into her mannequin form and she was in a semi-crouching position, with her right arm stretched out into the air in a straight pose and her left arm pointing out and slightly bent from below with her knees bent as her back arched and formed a curve as if she had been in the middle of her dancing routine when she somehow spotted Hollywood approaching the room and was morphed into an inanimate, nonliving mannequin as to not have him discover her secret. Hollywood then pointedly informed Jonathan that he understood clearly and even proposed bringing in G.I. Joe and having the four of them double date sometime. "No, you don't understand…" Jonathan started but was again interrupted by Hollywood. "Imagine, pretending to be a stock boy when you're an artist! I'm so jealous!" Hollywood ejaculated with a regal and majestic, self-proclaimed air and then added after a brief pause, "I'll leave you two alone." And with that, he walked away, leaving Jonathan confused and puzzled by what was happening around him. And in no time at all Emmy reappeared back into life in flesh and blood and then sauntering up to him with an extra skip in her step and a playful smirk spread across her lips. Jonathan then demanded on why Emmy would transform back into her mannequin form whenever anyone else would be around him. "Didn't I tell you? You're the only person who can see me like this," Emmy chirped to Jonathan as she continued her playful, teasing stride towards him. Jonathan then commented on how unfair that is and then Emmy responded back while pointing up at the sky, "Tell it to them." as she continued her audacious stride while now stalking backwards, implying that the gods had cursed her with the ability to be able to only appear in her human form around the person who may have the key to freeing her from the curse that was imposed on her when she prayed to the gods to save her from the cruel fate implemented on her by her mother and aside from that will also remain in her mannequin form around everyone else and will continue to linger in this state until she finds her true love.

Later, Jonathan and Emmy were on the verge on completing their latest project. "Ready, Emmy?" Jonathan remarked to Emmy while verbally giving her the signal to activate the machine which will be their most recent window display. "Ready!" Emmy replied back and then the moment she pushed a button, Jonathan's pants were abruptly ripped from his body and Jonathan covered himself in abashment. Soon many people gathered around the Prince Company department store to watch the most ingenious and spectacular, marvelous window display that was ever created, composed of a group of mannequins that were crowded together while equipped with bicycle protective gear and sitting on their bikes as the wheels rotated and spun around automatically. Claire Timkins then advanced towards Jonathan as she noticed him standing amongst the crowd sighting the display. "Oh, hello, Jonathan!" she greeted him gaily as she drew nearer with an affable and cheery aura permeating from her. "Hey, Ms. Timkins, how do you like the window display?" Jonathan replied back while asking her about her opinion of the effectiveness of the window display. "Oh yes! Hot, burning, churning…!" Claire Timkins commented to Jonathan in her usually spunky, feisty and animated, vivacious manner while chuckling at her own words. She then put her arm around Jonathan and then he escorted her out of the crowd. What spunk and independence this elderly woman eluded!

Later on in the day Jonathan awoke to the sound of ringing emanating and echoing from his phone and then he roused from his sleep in order to answer it.