A Modern Christmas Carol
Drabble-Ficlet-Things
A/N: This is basically a bunch of mini fanfictions based on my Modern Christmas Carol; starring Richard Scrooge, Charles Marley, Paul Cratchit et al.
It's Christmas time in /my/ world.
Hope you enjoy them!
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The Earlier Years/A Nephew Calls
It was Christmas Eve once again in bonny Scotland; chaos as always. Last minute shoppers dashing down crowded streets, jostling through the multitudes trying to get to the same shop, party-goers laughing and nattering away together as they attempted to navigate the icy pavements, frazzled parents attempting to drag their whinging children away from the toy shop…
Brrring. Brring.
Charles Marley sighed wearily and picked up the telephone. Probably another dunderhead wittering on about donating to needy children at this festive season of the-
"Hello?" said the cheerful voice on the other end of the line.
"We don't want double glazing, we won't donate to your charity foundation and we aren't interested in half-price Christmas lights!" Marley snapped, repeating the same phrase he'd used the last dozen times the phone had rang.
"Um…" replied a confused sounding Tom Scrooge. "I'm not selling double glazing or Christmas lights and I'm not from a charity foundation!"
"Thank gawd."
"Is Uncle Richard there?"
"Oh, it's you."
"What do you mean 'oh, it's you'? Didn't you recognize my voice?"
"To be frank, no."
A sigh from Tom's end.
"Is he there or not? I wish to speak to him about something very important!"
Marley rolled his eyes. "Something to do with Christmas no doubt?"
"Could you please just give the phone to my uncle?"
"I'm afraid I can't."
"Why?"
"He's not here at present. He's assisting Marcus and the test-drive people. This one car keeps breaking down half-way through the-"
"Curse those stupid test drive people and their idiotic nonsensical jargon!"
"Sounds like he's here now," said Tom smugly.
And indeed he was. Richard Scrooge himself. Co-founder of Scrooge & Marley's Motors, with a reputation for being the cruelest, harshest and most unfair boss in the city of Edinburgh…besides Charles Marley of course.
"Who're you nattering away to Marley? Shouldn't you be work-"
"It's your nephew who's not selling double glazing or Christmas lights or trying to get us to donate to charities-"
"It would be nice if you did-"
"-who wishes to speak to you about something important."
"Gimmee the phone!"
The cordless changed hands, and Tom could hear the furious pattering of Marley's fingers against the keyboard of his computer.
"What d'you want?" snarled Scrooge, sounding as happy and light of heart as ever.
"Well, first of all I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas uncle!"
"Ach, jings! Not this Christmas balderdash again! When will you get it through your head that I dinnae care!"
"Christmas is not balderdash, uncle! It's a kind, honest, loving, charitable-"
"-pointless waste of money!" finished Scrooge.
"No, it isn't!"
"Yes, it is!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"You two are acting like bairns!"
"What?"
"Nothing, just felt like pointing it out."
"Like I said, it is. You work all year to earn money and then throw it all away when Christmas comes around!"
"But-"
"I've had enough of this!"
Scrooge slammed down the phone, muttering derisively under his breath. He was about to stalk off when the phone rang again, shrill in the sudden silence of the office. Scrooge snatched it up from the desk, glared at it as if to discern who it was, then put it to his ear.
"-was a bit weird, eh Uncle Richard? Must be a bad connection…have you been paying your telephone bills?"
Scrooge chucked the telephone at Marley, who caught it just before it collided with his glasses.
"Watch it!"
"Watch what?"
"Him again?"
"Who else?"
Scrooge resumed his previous composure, stalked over to the door and wrenched it open. "You talk to him. I need to go and get me fish and chips…" It was two hours earlier than usual for tea, but what the heck. He deserved it after the ordeal of talking to that eejit nephew of his…
Marley gave his partner a wry smile before continuing the conversation where he had left off.
"We don't care about Christmas, we won't listen to your pointless arguments and we're off to have dinner; good afternoon!"
He ignored Tom's incredulous comments about it being only three o clock, placed the phone back on the stand and hurried to join Scrooge in the parking lot.
Scrooge & Marley's was closed for Christmas.