"There it is!" Sugie bounced excitedly in the passenger seat, "That's her farm"
Outside of town with nothing but evergreen trees as her neighbors Christina lived.
From where the truck was on the steep hill Shaggy could see a three-story farmhouse with two barns just beyond it and what looked like an orchard behind them. As they drove closer Shaggy could see gardens, flower boxes in the windows, and a porch swing. Storybook perfection in real life. Just like the rest of the town. Shaggy was slowly beginning to see the appeal, maybe if Googie did come like she promised she would too. Or so he hoped.
The truck was barely in park before Sugie was vaulting from her seat, charging up the porch, loudly announcing their arrival in the way only she could.
"Hi, Sugie!" Juliet stepped onto the porch, "Mom's in the barn right now" she explained.
"You look nice, Jules," Sugie was panting when he and Scooby sauntered up the steps.
"Thank you, it was Mom's" Juliet smiled down at her butterfly-themed attire, straightening out the shirt with all-over butterfly print, "I found it while looking for Christmas decorations, come inside, it's too cold out here"
The siblings hung their coats, removing their wet boots as Juliet had done before following her to the living room.
"Take a seat, I'm sure Mom will be in shortly," Juliet toyed with her side ponytail as she sat down.
"Have you seen the plans, Juliet?" Sugie asked in a whisper.
"No, not all of them, Mom's been making to-do lists"
"Meow?" Ace strutted into the room, jumping onto Juliet's lap with a contented purr.
Shaggy had to grab Scooby by the collar, giving his best buddy a scathing look, "Like, don't you dare," he ordered through gritted teeth, watching how Scooby stalked the cats' movements.
"But-"
"No, no but's"
"I don't think he can do much to ole Ace," Juliet smiled sympathetically at the Dane, "He's tougher than he looks"
"I wouldn't take the chance," Christina entered from the back door, her hair loose and windblown, she would have fixed it had her arms not been full.
"Is that a wolf?" Shaggy asked, dumbstruck.
"Jade brought home another one?" Juliet asked.
"Yes and yes," Christina replied, "This is Piper, the sole survivor of her pack" she pet the tawny brown fur ball smiling when she burrowed against the crook of her elbow, "She needs to be bottle-fed"
Before Shaggy could ask how Christina was so nonchalant about a wild animal the answer presented itself in the form of three fully grown wolves, bursting into the room, a black male followed by a tan female who was followed by a sliver and black female.
"I'll get the box," said the male.
"I've got blankets," said the tan.
"And I'll find the toys,"
"Thank you, you're all very helpful," Christina laughed, "But would you kindly clean your paws, we have company"
The wolves stopped, bumping into each other.
"We're sorry"
"So sorry,"
"We'll clean it up"
The trio retreated to do as they said while Christina disappeared into the kitchen to get the pup settled before retrieving refreshments for her guests.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to take so long in the barns," she apologized setting a tea tray on the coffee table, "Now, Shaggy I trust Sugie's told you all about the festival?" Christina sat down, brushing fur from her sweater before pouring the tea into delicate cups with holly designs.
"She hasn't stopped talking about it," he nodded to which Sugie turned almost as red as Christina's sweater while Juliet was struggling to stifle her laughter.
"That's alright, Sugie," Christina promised, "Everyone is excited," Turning to the end table she picked up a folder overflowing with papers which she passed to Shaggy, "This was last year, so you can get an idea of what we do"
opening the folder he found lists, diagrams, and sketches full of color, depicting rows of beautifully decorated Christmas trees, Santa's snow-covered village, gleaming lights, and a petting zoo.
"Whoa"
"Think you can handle it, Shaggy?"
"I'm in"
"Wonderful" Christina clapped, "As I'm sure Juliet has told you, I've already been hard at work on this year." she grabbed another folder also stuffed with papers, "These are just ideas and such they will of course be voted on by everyone else when they arrive"
"How do you suppose you're going to do everything?" Sugie stared bug-eyed at the plans.
"Divide and conquer, how else?"
The wolves tromped back into the room now clean, they settled around Christina who gave them each a pat on the head in thanks.
"Uh..." Shaggy trailed off still confused.
"These are some of my pets," Christina explained.
"HEY"
"Sorry," she apologized, "Our pets. We'll take you on a tour while we wait so you can get better acquainted with the animals"
"Our farm isn't normal," Juliet stood with a laugh.
…...
With snow crunching underfoot, Christina led them to the first of the barns. Shaggy expected horses, cows, or other kinds of livestock when the doors were opened but upon entering he received quite the shock. There were dragons in the stalls, actual dragons of all sizes and colors looking down at him.
"Dragons?"
"Come in, it's alright, they're very friendly"
"Hi, Sparks!" Sugie pushed past her brother heading for her favorite dragon, "Have you been the bestest boy?"
The dragon licked Sugie who could only laugh.
"There's more to see," Juliet tugged Shaggy and Scooby past the dragons to where Christina stood waiting.
"Far less impressive but this is where I store the vendor stalls," she directed him to a shadowed corner, "We're going to repaint them today,"
Shaggy counted eight but the corner was so dark there were probably more hidden from sight. Next, Christina showed him the towering boxes of lights to be sorted followed by boxes of outside decor with weathered diagrams pinned above them. Another row of stalls sat vacant while in the hayloft he discovered a murder of crows and ravens lived sleeping quite happily in the warm straw.
Exiting the first barn behind the mother-daughter duo they toured the second barn where there were horses but also rabbits, dogs, Jade's adopted pack, bats sleeping in the rafters, a family of tame foxes, and a family of jackalopes. Behind this barn was a chicken coop as well as a duck pond.
All the while, Christina explained what part these things played in the festival.
"-last year the petting zoo was a big hit with the littlest ones, the field over there is where most of the games are set up while the vendor stalls are going to be in the orchard here, am I going too fast?"
"No," Shaggy smiled, "You're going to string lights from the trees?"
"Yes, all over the place"
"Mom, I hear cars arriving," Juliet announced.
"Oh, goodness, we have to get back to the house, it's time for the meeting!"
…...
"AUNTIE DRACULAURA!" Juliet all but tackled the smiling pink vampire who was first in the door.
"Hey, Juliet," Draculaura squeezed the young hybrid hello, "You're almost as tall as me!"
"I know!" Juliet laughed, "Isn't it great?"
"Yes, it is," Draculaura agreed.
"Hi, Laura, where's Clawd?" Christina greeted before looking around for Draculaura's husband.
"He rode with Clawdeen and Duncan, discussing Christmas presents, I think"
"He isn't good at keeping secrets"
"Not one bit"
"Take a seat, please," Christina motioned to the dining room table, "I was just getting the snacks, do you want anything in particular?"
"You didn't happen to make chocolate chip cookies, did you?"
"As a matter a fact," Christina waved her hand.
"You're the best!" Draculaura clapped when a plate full of cookies appeared before her.
"Christina, do you like, think we need any more chairs?" Shaggy stepped from the kitchen carrying a set of folding chairs, Scooby and Sugie followed behind with stacks of their own.
"You bet," Christina nodded, "Look at the sheet"
The signup sheet rolled across the floor, past the trio before hitting the wall where the rest of it fell into lopsided coils.
"Ahem," Draculaura coughed politely.
"Draculaura, this is my assistant for the festival, Shaggy-"
"My older brother!" Sugie interjected excitedly.
"Yes," Christina nodded, "Shaggy, this is my cousin, Draculaura"
"Like, nice to meet you"
"Nice to meet you too"
"Rey!" Scooby declared, "Rhat about re?"
"This is Scooby," Shaggy introduced, "My best buddy"
"Hello, Scooby"
"Christina? where are you?"
Christina disappeared to the living room to greet everyone followed by Juliet, Scooby, and Sugie leaving Shaggy alone with Draculaura.
"How do you like the town so far?" she asked him.
"Like, it's great, peaceful, scenic like something out of a movie"
"I know, I love to visit"
"You like, don't live around here?"
"No, I live in New Salem where we grew up about four hours from here but Christy, she loves it here, how did you get roped into helping her? She's what you would call Christmas crazy"
"So is my family, Sugie demanded I volunteer"
"You're in for quite the experience"
"I can tell"
The conversation came to a pause as volunteers filled the dining room, each stopping to greet Draculaura before shaking his hand and welcoming him to town. Everyone quieted, however, when Christina entered carrying the folder under her arm.
"Welcome everyone," she greeted, "As you can see I have one heck of a to-do list here"
Shaggy's parents sat beside him, laughing alongside everyone else,
"But first, please enjoy the cookies and cocoa, I have far more than enough,"
"Restrain yourself, son," Sam poked Shaggy in the ribs playfully.
Juliet and Christina passed copies of the list down the table. Once everyone had eaten a little something, Christina took her seat at the head of the table, speaking again:
"Does anyone wish to add anything to the itinerary? Any suggestions?"
"I think you've covered everything, Miss Christina,"
"I wouldn't say that Mr. Larkin," Christina bashfully replied to the school's principal.
"We would," chorused the people.
"Okay then, the next order of business is dividing into teams to ready the farm..."
…...
"Tired, Shaggy?" Stacy patted her son on the back as the weary family climbed up the porch steps.
The sky was turning shades of pink, purple, and orange as the sun climbed into bed. The lights of the Christmas tree twinkled in greeting as they stepped one by one through the front door into the warmth of the house.
"Not at all, Mom," Shaggy smiled.
Despite the aches in his arms from painting all day Shaggy felt energized, excited for the first time in months. When did his job stop feeling this way? Why hadn't he noticed?
"Good," Sugie slapped him on the back, "You'll be up early tomorrow, after all, someone has to help Christina untangle that mountain of lights"
"And I'll be happy to do it," he stuck his tongue out.
"I say, we all grab a blanket and have a good old-fashioned family movie night," Sam suggested.
"First to help with the popcorn gets to pick," added Stacy.
At once the siblings were clamoring to get to the kitchen, shoving each other out of the way.
Shaggy was so caught up in the moment that he didn't realize his phone was ringing.
…...
"Are you sure we can't have a reindeer?" Juliet pleaded with her mother.
"I'm certain, my miracle girl,"
the two were lounging in the living room as they did every night. Juliet in her elf-inspired pajamas, Christina in her nightdress. Juliet pouted briefly before returning her gaze to the pup she was feeding.
"I had fun today," Juliet said after a few minutes.
"So did I"
"Scooby's really funny, Mom did you see when he got tangled up in the garlands?"
"And the star bumped his head, I saw"
"Jade kept wanting to play chase with him"
At the mention of her name, Jade looked around sleepily before resting her head on her paws, drifting back to sleep.
"Yes, that's why he was tangled up"
"Mom, I know something else I want for Christmas"
"What's that?"
"To see you smile like you did today"
"What do you mean?"
"Shaggy made you smile a lot, but it was different from normal, you were super-duper happy, you don't smile as much as you think you do"
"When did you get so smart?" Christina scooted closer to Juliet, hugging her around the shoulders.
"I dunno," Juliet shrugged, leaning against her mother.
"Don't ever change, my miracle girl, don't ever change"
"I won't, Mom, I promise"
…...
And so closes chapter four which I enjoyed but I'm dying to know what you guys thought of it!