Hello? Anyone out there? Did anyone read the last chapter? I barely got any reviews! Well, maybe it's just me. I got a lot of reviews on the original Coyote Ugly. Is this one still good? Oh well. Whatever…
Disclaimer- I don't own anything, but the plot.
Chapter 8 Christmas Cheer
Terror had finally taken its toll on Mona. In the days that followed the raincoat man's chase, Mona was barely seen by anyone, but Draco. Megan had been opening Coyote Ugly for the past few days. Draco had stayed with Mona to comfort her and try to get her out of the house. The Christmas cheer was dwindling and Draco and the coyotes felt as though it was their job to bring Mona, Severus, and Taylor out of the dumps.
"C'mon Mona. We're going out." Announced Draco one morning one week before Christmas. Mona looked up from her book scared and confused.
"We… we are?" she questioned nervously. Draco nodded vigorously.
"We are going out to find a Christmas tree." Said Draco loud and proud. Mona shook her head.
"No way. No how. No way. I'm not taking one foot out of this house until our baby is born." Said Mona stubbornly crossing her arms. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Oh no your not. We need a Christmas tree and Christmas is next week! Besides, it's broad daylight and there will be plenty of other people around. The tree farm won't be so abandoned as the supermarket or Chicago at night." Said Draco nearly begging. "Please? Do it for me. This is our second Christmas and our first one with you pregnant."
"How many times do you plan on having my pregnant on Christmas?" she asked smirking. Draco bent down and whispered in her ear.
"As long as you keep arousing me like you do." He whispered seductively in Mona's ear making it tickle. He passionately kissed her lips and quickly grabbed her arm. "And you're going!" he yelled yanking Mona up by her arm. Mona groaned then sighed. She really couldn't stay inside all of the time.
"Alright fine." She agreed though reluctantly. "But Severus is coming too." She said. Draco gave her a funny look.
"You hate his guts."
"Yes, but I want him to suffer like I do." Mona said with an evil grin. Draco handed Mona her coat and called for Severus. After a lot of convincing, the three of them piled into Draco's truck and drove off to a small tree farm just outside of Chicago.
"What about this one?" asked Draco. They had been at the tree farm for over an hour now and yet they hadn't found a tree.
"It's too skinny." Said Severus eyeing the tree, which was in fact skinny.
"I agree. We need a bigger one." Said Mona. Draco shook his head. Thanks to Mona's mood swings, she and Severus were getting along famously, which meant that picking out a tree would be twice as hard. "Keep going." Urged Mona as she and the men walked up another row of trees. Draco looked from left to right. To him, a tree was a tree was a tree. They were all the same. However, Mona and Severus didn't seem to share this thought.
"Look at that one." Said Mona pointing to the left at a tall tree.
"No, the house is too small." Said Severus. He looked to the right. "How about that one over there?" he questioned. This tree was plump and short.
"Fine. Looks good to me." Said Draco drawing out the axe he had borrowed from the owner of the tree farm. Mona put a hand on his arm just as he was about to swing.
"Don't you dare! It's too round. It'll never fit al of our ornaments." Said Mona moving onto the next row of trees. Draco groaned. She was right. They had about a hundred ornaments and they had only been married a year and a half! Everyone last year sent them ornaments for Christmas. Plus, they had bought several boxes of their own. It was a miracle that the tree hadn't fallen over last year.
It took another twenty minutes before Mona and Severus had both agreed on a tree. Mona's mood had altered, and she was actually asking Severus for advice. Draco almost felt hurt that she wasn't asking him! Then again, he remembered last year when she slapped him when he didn't help the bake cookies. This year, he vowed he would no matter how horrible he was at cooking.
"This one will be perfect!" squealed Mona as they were driving home from the tree farm. "Christmas will be so much fun!" Draco felt a wave of relief wash over him. Mona was no longer scared or worried and even Severus was in a good mood!
When they had finally arrived home, Draco and Severus were set to the task of bringing up all of the Christmas boxes from the basement. Mona had made it perfectly clear that she wanted everything around the house to be festive. Every room would at least have some form of a decoration in it, even Severus's room. Boxes lined the back wall of the basement, but neither Draco nor Severus made a move toward them.
"Do we have to bring them all up?" drawled Severus. Draco solemnly shook his head. Severus reached into his back pocket. "Screw that. I'm levitating them." He muttered. After using a quick charm, the boxes began to float one by one up the stairs. Draco felt stupid for not thinking of that until he heard a yelp of pain.
"Ouch!" cried someone from upstairs. It was obviously Mona. Draco dashed in front of the upcoming boxes and into the living room where Mona sat nursing he head.
"Who used Wingardium Leviosa to bring the boxes up here?" she asked rubbing her forehead. "They forgot to tell me and a little fast moving box came and hit me in the head!" Draco snickered at Severus who had just walked up the stairs not looking at all sorry.
"Well? Would you rather still be there bring them all up and not have a sore head, or would you rather be done with it?" he asked in his usual sarcastic manner. Mona glared at him then ordered the two men to bring in the tree and move the furniture. "Why aren't you helping?" questioned Severus while he helped Draco move the couch. Mona sat down on the floor and began to go through the boxes.
"Easy. I'm supporting another life other than my own." She replied simply. Draco watched Severus scowl, but quickly led him outside before he could say anything he would regret.
When Mona was completely satisfied with where the tree was and where the furniture was, it was finally time to start on the lights. Draco opened a box labeled "lights" and took out what seemed to be a long string of lights. Pongo, Perdy, and the puppies had taken their seats on the relocated couch to watch the show.
"What happened to them?" asked Severus looking at the cord, which was tied in several tight knots. Mona looked over at Draco.
"I guess that's what else the gnomes got into when we had that gnome invasion last spring." Sighed Mona. "Isn't there an untangling charm?"
Severus quickly shook his head. "No way! You don't want to try the Fernagled Charm with these things. If the spell isn't perfect, you can end up with an even bigger knot. You-"
"Oh screw that! I'm trying it." Announced Mona reaching for her wand, which was lying quietly on the coffee table. "Fernagled!" she cried. To everyone's surprise, the charm worked. There were no knots at all! Mona had a look of triumph on her face. "Told ya." She said walking over to look at a box of garland. Draco and Severus looked at each other. Then shrugging their shoulders, they began to drape the lights around the tree.
About half way through, Mona looked up from her box of garland to look at the tree. She shook her head. "You missed an entire area, guys." She said getting up, with difficulty, and walking over to them. "This whole area over here has barely any lights!" she exclaimed pointing to a small part of the back of the tree. The men groaned.
"Mona, if we redo that one part, we'd have to redo the whole tree! That would take even longer. Besides, that spot is in the back. No one will see it." Said Draco gently, not wanting to get her worked up. Mona frowned.
"Oh… okay fine I guess. So what if I remember the Christmas tree as being empty in one spot when I think about being pregnant on Christmas. We'll just have to tell our child that it wasn't perfect that it was the year before. That's fine." She said with tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Draco gave Severus a look that clearly said they would have to redo the tree. Who cares if the tree wasn't perfect anyway? It was the hormones. Still, he felt guilty.
"Alright fine. We'll redo the lights." Said Draco half-heartedly. Mona smiled again and gave Draco a big hug.
"Thank you!" she smiled as she went back to her garland. Severus glared at Draco the whole time as they redid the lights.
As soon as the lights were up and glowing brightly on the tree, Mona brought her box of garland over to the men.
"Okay boys, the garland is next. Now first goes the popcorn and the cinnamon sticks wrapped together, then the candy balls and cranberry balls, then the popcorn and cranberries. After that, repeat." Explained Mona. "I need to check my cooking ingredients for tomorrow." She called over her shoulder as she left for the kitchen with the puppies trailing behind her, hoping to get a taste of something sweet.
About a half hour later, Mona returned with the puppies, who were licking their chops for any leftover food, to find Draco and Severus completely done with the tree and the garland. She was surprised to see that they hadn't messed up the order.
"I'm proud." She said kissing Draco's cheek. "Now all we need to do is put up the star and hang the ornaments!" Using his wand, Draco brought over the remaining boxes, and turned on the stereo to listen to a few Christmas songs as they hung their ordiments.
"No, no! Don't hang that one there!" yelled Mona to Severus just as he was about to hang a candy cane in front of a light bulb. "You'll block the light."
"Everywhere else is full!" said Severus back. It was true. Between gifts last year and buying their own ornaments, the tree was packed.
"Hang it over there." Said Mona pointing to the other side. "Draco! That one never goes in the back! Hang it in the front." Draco looked at the glass ball in his hand. It wasn't a very special ball. It just had some glitter on it.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because I said so." Said Mona simply. Draco didn't feel like arguing so he hung it in front.
Finally, they were nearly done. All that was left was the star. Draco had a plan. Maybe putting up the star would help Severus with his Christmas cheer. He had felt it last year when he had hung their star on the top of their tree. It was a great feeling to admire their tree with Mona wrapped in his arms and the dogs at his feet.
"Professor, I think you should hang up the star." Said Draco. Mona and Severus stared at him. Severus turned to the tree while Mona just glared at Draco. Before she could say anything abut it being his job, he mouthed for her to keep quiet and the he had a plan. He handed Severus the star and he placed ever so gently on top of the Christmas tree.
A warm feeling spread throughout Severus's body as he stepped back to look at the tree, whose lights were now glowing softly and reflecting off of the ordiments. The song "White Christmas" hummed while he admired the tree. He suddenly felt better about all that had happened to him since he had arrived on Thanksgiving. Taylor came to him mind, and he felt ready to get her back into his life. He was going to have a baby!
Severus turned to face Draco and Mona, who were staring glassy eyed at the tree wrapped in each others arms. "Um, I just wanted to say… thanks… for a lot of things." He said slowly. Draco grinned.
"No problem, professor." He said.
"No call me Severus. I need your help now again. I've been an ass hole. I'm having a baby and I haven't even helped the woman I love. You've got to help me get her back!" he said desperately. Mona and Draco looked at each other, and Mona smirked.
"I think I might just have an idea."
"Are you sure about this? How's this going to help at all?" asked Severus several hours later. Coyote Ugly was wild that night with the return of Mona at last. After many welcome backs, Mona decided to put her plan into action.
"Trust me. No one can resist you. Besides, it'll show her that you respect what she does, and that it does NOT make her look like a slut, or any of us for that matter." Said Mona grabbing her megaphone. "Alright coyotes and wolves alike. We have a special guest here for our ladies enjoyment. He may be old, but is he one sexy beast. Here's….. Severus Snape!"
Music blared as Severus climbed up onto the bar, not quiet sure what to do. He looked at Taylor, who was stunned.
"What's this going to do?" whispered Draco to Mona s they music began to play.
"When in Rome, do like the Romans." She muttered back. Severus found the beat loud and strong. A sense of lightness over came him as his hips began to move to the beat.
Crack that whipGive the past the slip
Step on a crack
Break your momma's back
-----------------------------------------
When a problem comes along
You must whip it
Before the cream sits out to long
You must whip it
When something's going wrong
You must whip it------------------------------------------
Now whip it
Into shape
Shape it up
Get straight
Go forward
Move ahead
Try to detect it
It's not to late
To whip it
Whip it good
------------------------------------------
When a good time turns around
You must whip it
You will never live it down
Unless you whip it
I say whip it
Whip it good
Ladies of Coyote Ugly whooped and cheered, as Severus quickly got off the bar red and out of breathe. The other coyotes patted him on the back and took his place on the bar. Both Mona and Draco smiled at him, but the one who he was looking for wasn't there. Taylor was nowhere in sight.
Severus rushed to the back room to find Taylor sitting on a crate.
"Taylor, it's amazing! I never knew it was so much fun!" he exclaimed. For once in his life, he was happy. Taylor, however, looked anything, but happy.
"So what? You had fun. Big deal." She said coldly.
"No. Now I understand why you like it so much, and how it doesn't make you a slut." He said. She only glared.
"You're a few months late for noticing." She said getting up. "How do I know you won't go back to being your old self? I don't want to deal with the bastard who denies my child even after he was proved it was his. You haven't changed. You don't love me." She said as she swept from the room leaving Severus sad and heart broken.
A/N: Well that's finally over. I know you probably don't get why Taylor didn't take him back. Thank of it as she's sick of him, and is scared he'll break her heart again.
I'm very sorry I haven't updated. This week has been hell. My friend made a very bad choice and now I'm scared that she may be pregnant. She's my age, 14. I will try to update more and finally put up my one shot. Please don't hate me. I am trying. Things here have just gotten worse since she slept with this guy, who cheated on her and she won't do anything about it. So for everyone out there who is thinking of giving themselves to their boyfriend/girlfriend, I'm asking you not to unless you're married or at least engaged. If you're older and can deal with the consequences, then sleep to your hearts content, but please protect yourself, as my friend is not doing. You may be hurting yourself, but you're also hurting your friends.
I'll get to work on the next chapter right away! Please review and thanks a million for reviewing!
Me,
RonFan