The snow began falling again midway through the day. Scooby was curled in front of the fireplace while Shaggy was stretched across the couch, staring at his phone.

How's work going, sweetie? He'd texted two hours ago with no response.

"Like, maybe she's busy?" he questioned aloud.

Whatever the reason, Shaggy couldn't simply sit around all day waiting for a response. Standing, he crept past Scooby before sneaking upstairs to the attic where he slumped among boxes.

The box in front of him had his name on it. His curiosity piqued, Shaggy pulled the weathered, beaten box closer to him, opening it. First, he coughed on the dust that swirled through the air before squinting at the contents. On the very top were a few favorite shirts, crisply folded. Putting those aside he picked up photo albums full of pictures which were followed by long-forgotten school projects.

All Christmas-related.

There was a mud-colored reindeer with chipped antlers, felt and foam picture frames decorated with snowmen and Santa.

Shaggy smiled pulling out one thing after another.

"Norville?" the attic door opened, Stacy peering inside, only to smile when she saw what her son held, "I remember those, you were always so excited to give me your Christmas crafts, did you see what's in the bottom of the box?"

"Comet," Shaggy smiled, "Like, this is where he's been hiding?" he gently lifted the lumpy, button-eyed reindeer from the box, adjusting the faded evergreen scarf around his neck.

"Why don't you bring him down with you?" Stacy smiled warmly, "I'm sure that's what Gram would want you to do"

"Me too," Shaggy hugged the reindeer close, recalling Christmases past where Comet was carried everywhere, loved endlessly, "Why were you looking for me?"

"Oh, I just wanted to know if you wanted to help me, I'm getting started on dinner"

"What's on the menu?"

"Gram's fried chicken"

"Like, count me in!"

…...

In the bakery meanwhile, Christina worked to frost armies of gingerbread men while Juliet was in the front of the store, doing her English assignment. It was the only slow time of the day. When people were at school and work.

"Mom?" Juliet stepped into the kitchen, "The snow's getting heavier"

"Is it?" Christina looked up from the gingerbread men.

"Will we have to close?"

"Only it becomes a blizzard, come help me with these soldiers, would you?"

"Okay," Juliet washed up before tying on her apron, "It beats my book report"

"I hope there's no blizzard," Christina said, frosting a cheerful grin onto her gingerbread man, "The meeting's tomorrow"

"I get to do more than help with the castle this year, right?"

"We'll discuss it tomorrow, the festival is a big responsibility Jules"

"But, I'm ready for it!"

"I know, we have to see what everyone else wants to do first, okay?"

"Okay," Jules relented, "Can we have reindeer for the sleigh rides?"

"Where am I supposed to find reindeer?"

"Mom, you own dragons, I think a reindeer will be easy to find"

"Not with Christmas so close"

"You never know, Maybe Santa will let us borrow Prancer or something?"

"We'll see, Jules, we'll see"

…...

"Shaggy! Sugie bounded inside the house, barely stopping to put down her backpack, "Time to go!"

"Go where?" Stacy questioned from the kitchen, "Your brother is kind of busy at the moment"

Sugie skipped to the kitchen, finding her brother coated in flour and spices.

"He's going to be Christina's assistant for the festival," she explained, hopping onto a stool in front of the island.

"If Christina like, agrees to it," Shaggy reminded her, "Besides, there's chicken to fry"

"Shaggy, you promised we'd go to the bakery when I got home from school, guess what? I'm home!" Sugie reminded him, "Now wash up and let's go before the evening rush hits"

"Go with your sister," Stacy said, "I can finish up here,"

"Yes Mom"

…...

"Shaggy! Sugie!" Christina smiled, "Nice to see you both, so how was school today, Sugie?"

"Great but it feels amazing to be on break"

"I'm sure it does," Christina agreed, "Gingerbread or snickerdoodle, my treat to celebrate"

"Snickerdoodle please"

"Here you are, just out of the oven so be careful"

"Mmm," Sugie sighed contentedly before remembering, "Oh, Shaggy has something to ask you"

"Sugie!" Shaggy flushed with embarrassment, he was hoping she would forget but now Christina was looking at him expectantly, there was no backing down.

"Sugie said you like, usually have an assistant for the festival and like, she uh, demanded I volunteer," he stammered out, "I said you'd probably prefer a local but she like insisted that I-"

"I'd love your help, Shaggy"

"Really?" he asked, taken aback.

"Yes, the rest of your family is helping and if you're anything like them then I trust you love Christmas?"

"Like, I do, very much"

"Then it's settled, you'll be my assistant"

"I wanted to be the assistant!" Juliet huffed from the kitchen doorway.

"Cheer up my miracle girl," Christina smiled lovingly, "After all, Santa has more than one elf, doesn't he?"

Juliet broke into a grin, "Yipee!"

"The first volunteer meeting is tomorrow at the farm," Christina turned back to the siblings, "It starts at four but if you could be there a half-hour early, that would be great, Sugie knows the way"

"See you then, Christina"

…...

To do for the festival:

Clean house.

Tidy stables.

Draft castle design.

Repaint the vendor stalls.

Look into sleigh rentals.

Find the missing Christmas lights for display.

Christina looked up from her list. There were so many more things to do but it was getting late. Juliet was already fast asleep with Ace purring on top of her. But, Christina couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep her mind was so busy. She had to go through the suggestion box to vet out the crazier more impossible or cruel things, organize a list to be voted on by all volunteers tomorrow, and...

And, it was all a distraction. A much-wanted distraction. For as much as Christina loved Christmas it dredged up things she would have liked to forget, shoving them as far back into her mind as she could, it seemed, however, that these painful, pesky, unwanted memories reappeared at the first snowfall, refusing to leave until the spring thaw.

By that time it was always too late.

Much too late.

…...

Poor Christina!

Although this chapter is much shorter than I would have liked I'm happy with it.

But, what did you think?

I think some Christmas magic and maybe some matchmaking is in order, don't you?