Chapter Three- Snow, Pie, and Tears

Snowanna sat in the apartment, dazing dreamily as the soft sounds of the violins played around her. Crumbellina and Don seemed to be enjoying themselves, partaking in yet another duet.

"Heh, you've been in this arcade for HOW LONG and I'm only now learning you can play this well?" the sailor smiled.

"I tend to keep my music to myself…." Crumbellina said "It's only been recently since I've let others hear it."

"Well, I'm glad that you've finally decided to share your talents! It's nice knowing someone else here appreciates the violin!"

The two continued with their music but even though Don had left his door open, no one noticed Nel and Taffyta going up the hall with a few spare snow shovels in their hands.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked the strawberry racer "I mean, what if it doesn't work?"

"Heh, trust me kid." Nel snickered "This is GONNA work! You'll see!"

"Umm…this won't KILL anyone. Will it?"

"In the thirty years I'VE been here, no one's died so quit your worrying kiddo!"

Taffyta and Nel made their way up towards the apartment roof but down below another battle was taking place.

"Okay guys, ya left me no choice!" Felix said angrily "I ASKED ya ta calm down with this snowball fight but seein' as ya won't, I guess I have no choice but ta join in!"

"Hey, this wouldn't have been an issue if ya hand't made it snow so much, ya know!" barked Ralph.

"An' WHY did I make it snow?" Felix chuckled "WHO was tha one who implied my wife's cookin' was bad? Hmm? HMMM?"

"Don't deny it!" said Vanellope "We saw the look on your face. You were thinkin' tha same thing!"

"NO I W-!" Felix cut himself off as he stood before the two "Ya know what? FINE! Ya want war, then let it begin."

"Hold on a second…" Ralph said "Ya wanna FIGHT us now?"

"That's what I said." Felix smiled, crossing his arms.

"Aw, NO WAY! You're join' NOUGIE'S SIDE?!" Vanellope said, her jaw dropping.

"HA!" the pink popsicle girl laughed "We got us Felix! We got us Felix!"

"Bah, doesn't matter!" grumped Vanellope "Ralph can out throw ya guys an-!"

Before Vanellope could even think about finishing her sentence an onslaught of snowballs whipped around her. Ralph pulled her down behind the massive snow wall but the spray did not stop!

"What tha-?!"

The two peaked over the wall, seeing Felix tossing snowball after snowball towards the group.

"Ya got somethin' ta say now? Hmmm? The repairman laughed "Or are ya surrenderin'?"

"Ya didn't tell me he could throw that good!" Vanellope growled, grabbing Ralph by his chin.

"He's used ta spinnin' around on his feet, this isn't anything new to him!"

The battle only picked up outside, the two teams wailing on each other but inside the apartment was another story. Gene entered the building from the back door, shivering from the cold.

"Well, no signs that someone from EAST Niceland came in here…" the man said to himself, rubbing his hands. He looked down at his watch; he only had half an hour to retrieve the baked goods Mary had accused him of stealing but he was no closer to finding the culprit than when he started. He moaned, his fingers massaging pounding temples.

"I should be USED to stupid things like this happening around me."

"You mean she STILL won't come out of her bed room?"

Gene looked over, seeing Lucy talking to Nolan.

"Yeah, poor Meggy is still bawlin' her eyes out over the thing!"

"Poor Meg indeed…" the tennis coach sighed, shaking his head "And here I thought she was looking forward to the holidays too."

"Wait, what's wrong with Meg?" Gene asked as he approached his neighbors.

"Well, according to what Lucy has told me, Meg is having another repeat of what happened back in ninety-one."

The mayor arched his brow "Ninety-one?"

"Yeah, when she was paired up with Don for Secret Santa!" said Lucy "Now she's sealed herself up in Dee-Dee's bedroom an' won't come out."

"What?!" Gene said "But I thought she had gotten over that!"

"BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Everyone looked up, the sounds of Meg's piercing cries flowing throughout the entire apartment. A tired look on her face, Lucy pointed up towards the ceiling.

"Does that SOUND like she's over it?"

"Okay….maybe putting those two together wasn't a good idea…." Gene winced, certain that plaster was now flaking to the floor from the screeching cries "But I was certain she would at least TRY this time!"

"Ya know how she is…" Lucy said casually, putting her arms behind her back "Ya put those two in a room together, she turns into a mouse. Granted, I don't know what she sees in the old fart but hey, c'est la vie!"

"Oh, c'est la vie my butt…." Gene grumbled.

"Genie?"

"Nolan? Look, I know we're busy right now…." Gene said in a desperate tone "But can you please, PLEASE help get Meg out of Deanna's room? "

"An' you can't do it WHY, Mayor Bootyshorts?" said Lucy "At least with you, she'll follow orders!"

"Sorry but I can't! I have so much stuff to do right now I don't know if I'm coming or going!"

"Don't worry about it, Gene. I'll get it her out." Said Nolan "Just….just be on standby, it might take a while."

"I don't care! As long as she stops all that MEWLING!"

"Hey, I could have helped as well!" Lucy pouted "Why didn't you aske ME? I'm like her best friend an' all!"

Gene gave Lucy one look….and then left the room.

"HEY! HEEEEEEEEEEEEY! Gene, don't leave me hangin' ilke that!"

"C'mon, Lulu…" Nolan said "Might as well get going…."

"Question."

"Yes, young lady?" asked Mary.

"How in the world do ya manage to weave those pie slivers so neatly?" the marine asked, clumsily working with the pie dough "Everythin' keeps fallin' apart in my hands!"

"Don't handle it so roughly, dear. Just do it like this!"

Calhoun was on what had to be her fifth attempt at making a pie but this time, she felt like she was actually enjoying it. She knew she had gone into the 'bet' with the intentions to prove to everyone that being tough didn't mean she was unable to make something as simple as a pie but now she no longer cared about that.

As she stood in the kitchen with Mary, Calhoun was actually enjoying herself and enjoying watching the little woman by her side create in the process.

"Mary, you're a Pie Angel, do ya know that?" Calhoun chuckled "But don't ya ever get tired?"

"Tired?" the tiny woman asked "You mean as in, tired of baking pies?"

"No, I mean TIRED in physically tired. You've done ALL of this, an' yet ya keep goin' an' goin'! I have soldiers who pass out after a third round of Cybug huntin', but from what I hear ya can go on your feet for days!"

"Oh, hush! That's just an exaggeration!" the Nicelander laughed "Shooting Cybugs shouldn't even be compared to making pie!"

Calhoun looked at the mess of a pie before her, the dough ribbons knotted up into a bunch "Huh. Ya can say that I guess."

"If it means anything to you dear, I'm glad you came down here to help."

A warm smile came upon the marine's face "Thank you. Thank you, so much. That actually means a lot to me."

There couldn't have been a more peaceful moment between the two than that, the baking continuing.

It's amazing what the holidays can bring out in people.

"Meg! MEEEEEEEEEG!" called Deanna, knocking on her door "For programmer's sake, PLEASE come out of my room!"

"I DON'T WANNA!"

Deanna coughed again, wanting noting more than to THROW herself on the couch but she couldn't let Meg win.

"Meg, its Christmas! WE DON'T NEED THIS SH-!"

"Dee-Dee!" Nolan said in shock as he entered the apartment "Hi, Gene told me there was something going on in he-?"

Deanna simply pointed to the door, lurching back to her couch "You take charge. I feel like I'm going to pass out."

"Wait, what happened?"

If Nolan was waiting for a response, he didn't get one. Deanna was already asleep on the couch, the comforters pulled over her.

"QUITTER." Lucy grumbled, hitting Deanna with a pillow.

"Urf, go away."

A TERRIBLE howl of a cry erupted from Deanna's room, everyone's attention returning to the sobbing Nicelander inside.

"Oh, right. Meggy."

"Sweetie, just hear me out for a second." Said Nolan as he approached the door "All of this is going to keep happing if you keep locking yourself up like this."

"I-I guess that's how it should be then!" sobbed the woman who was now ducking behind Deanna's bed "I-It's not like Don would notice or CARE anyway!"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Nolan "Don's always been so sweet to you! You act as if he wouldn't notice such a trinket!"

"A-are you kidding? It's like everytime I DO try to talk to him, he never notices me or something happens to get in the way!"

"Oh, that can't be true…." Reassured Nolan "I-!"

"Nolan? REALLY?" Lucy said, arching a brow as she looked up at her neighbor "This is DON we're talking about here. DONALD."

"Hmmmm. Yeah, you do have a point."

"AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

"GUYS!" shouted Tony "Is there anythin' else we can do?!"

"Ya know somethin'?" Lucy puffed in an angry tone "I'm sick of seein' Meggy act like this year after year! If someone has ta drop tha ball here, its gonna be me!"

"Wait, LUCILE! Don't do that!" Nolan gasped, surprised that the young woman would even consider doing such a thing "I think it would be a lot better of Megan did this herself!"

"BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"

"Do ya THINK Meg is in any condition ta talk ta Don right now? DO YA?!"

Nolan looked at the door nervously "W-Well, maybe if we calmed her down a bit?"

"Uh, why is there WATER steaming from under the door?" asked Tony.

"Nope, sorry. Not waitin' for it."

"Lucile, don't you dare!" cried Nolan but he was too late, Lucy had already ran out of the apartment on her way to search for Don. Nolan could do nothing more around the apartment in a complete mess on how to prevent the brewing drama that was coming.

"Dee-Dee, DEE-DEE! You have some other-worldly powers to get Lucy to stop acting like this! Do something!"

Nolan was expecting one of Deanna's cold responses as usual.

"Snnnnnnrk…."

Instead he just got a lot of snoring.

"Anthony, how do you handle your sister?"

The younger Nicelander blinked off before realizing Nolan was addressing him "Excuse me, were ya talkin' ta me?"

"PROGRAMMERS! WHY WAS I PROGRAMMED TO BE THE SHYEST?! ITS NOT FAIR!"