Chapter 4: All Gather Round

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Lucy began to panic. "I locked us all out!"

BJ chuckled "You sure did!"

"And all the food's in there!" Sally said.

"All the food I worked so hard on!" Lucy explained.

Barney gulped "We really need to get inside." He said as Snoopy arrived with a ring of keys. "How many keys do you have?"

Snoopy then muttered something that Barney understood.

"A hundred?!" Barney gawked.

"Is that more than ten?" Baby Bop wondered.

Lila nodded "A lot more."

"Then we're gonna be out here for a looooong while!"

"Why didn't you tell me you didn't had the keys?!" Lucy barked at Sally.

"I didn't know this was going to happen!" Sally barked back. "You should have gotten the keys!"

"Why?" Lucy asked.

"Because!" Sally simply said.

"Why?!" Lucy shot back.

"Because!"

"Why? Because everything is my responsibility because I'm 8?!" Lucy ranted. "Isn't it enough that I'm making Thanksgiving dinner for everyone? You know, everyone wants a different kind of potatoes, so I'm making different kinds of potatoes. Does anybody care what kind of potatoes I want? Nooooo, no, no! Just as long as Lila gets her peas and onions, and Schroeder gets his tots, and it's my first Thanksgiving, and it's all burned, and, and I... I...I WANTED TO SPEND IT WITH GRANDMA!" she then began to cry.

"Lucille, don't cry..." Peppermint Patty croaked. It actually didn't take long for the door to be unlocked.

"Finally! The doors open! Here we go!" Linus smiled in relief, but the turkey and the potatoes were all burnt. Luckily the other food was still safe, but Lucy's frown was still on her face.

"Well, turkey's burnt!" Lucy spat. "Potatoes are ruined, potatoes are runined, potatoes are ruined!"

"Oh my..." Barney gasped.

"Maybe we can fix it..." Heather said before noticing Lucy curling up in a corner, feeling extremely sad. "Lucy, are you OK?"

"NO!" Lucy cried, tears spilling out of her eyes.

"Lucille..." Peppermint Patty asked, calmly.

"WHAT?!" Lucy barked.

"Some Thanksgiving this is shaping up to be..."

Lucy growled a little, still crying. "You can say that again! Turkey's burnt, no one's getting their potatoes, we're NOT going to grandma's. Can today get any worse?"

The tomboy shrugged. "Beats me."

"Lucy?" Barney asked. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Lucy announced before bursting into tears. "THIS IS THE WORST THANKSGIVING EVER!"

Barney looked over "Patty, can you occupy the others? I think Lucy and I need a minute."

"Got it, Big Purple." Peppermint Patty said as she walked off.

"Is Lucy okay?" BJ asked.

Peppermint Patty shook her head "Barney's with her, so she's gonna be fine. I hope."

Lucy began to calm down as Barney hugged her. "I thought I could do it, Barney. I wanted to make the most perfect Thanksgiving, but I just couldn't." she sniffled.

"Lucille, not every holiday has to be perfect." Barney said.

"It doesn't?" Lucy asked.

"All that matters is that the ones you love are very close to you." Barney smiled, glancing over at their friends, making Lucy smile. She then stood up and faced her friends.

"You guys were always there for me, and I appreicate it." Lucy said.

"We'll always be your friend, Lucy. No matter how crabby you are." Heather smiled.

Barney:
Friends are special, so important,
they make the world go 'round.

Baby Bop, BJ, Barney's Friends, and Peanuts Gang:
We like helping one another
in school or on the playground
Friends are there to help each other
when one is feeling sad.

Barney, Baby Bop, BJ, Barney's Friends, and Peanuts Gang:
Being friends is very special.
Be a friend, and you'll be glad.

Lucy giggled. "You guys are truly the best!" she smiled.

Lucy:
Friends are special, so important,
they make the world go 'round.

Barney, Baby Bop, BJ, Barney's Friends, and Peanuts Gang:
We like helping one another
in school or on the playground
Friends are there to help each other
when one is feeling sad.
Being friends is very special.
Be a friend, and you'll be glad.
Being friends is very special.
Be a friend, and you'll be glad.

After Lucy began to feel better, the kids, animals, and dinosaurs began to sit down to enjoy a nice thanksgiving dinner with macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, apple fritters, corn, pumpkin pie, and marshmallow sandwiches. "Shall I carve?" Peppermint Patty asked with a smile.

"By all means." Lucy smiled. Peppermint Patty then began to cut through the marshmallow sandwiches.

"OK, there's plenty enough for everyone." Peppermint Patty said as she handed out the sandwiches.

"You know, I think this is actually one of the best Thanksgivings I ever had." Lucy smiled.

"This is my favorite Thanksgiving!" Baby Bop said, with a mouth full of pumpkin pie.

"I thought you haven't heard of Thanksgiving until this week." Lila giggled.

"THAT'S why it's my favorite!"

Peppermint Patty smiled "Yeah. Not bad for our first Thanksgiving in the treehouse!"

Barney chuckled and poured out some root beer for everyone. "I know I'll drink to that!"

Snoopy then waved a marshmallow sandwich at the dinosaur. "Oooooh! Pretend it's a wishbone!" Rerun interjected from his seat next to his siblings.

"Why?" Baby Bop asked as BJ grabbed a few marshmallow sandwiches to eat.

"Whoever gets the bigger half gets a wish!" Rerun said.

Chuckling, Snoopy and Barney began to pull on the sandwich and it ended in Barney getting the bigger half.

"Ooooooooooooh!" Snoopy laughed and ate his half.

"What did you wish for?" asked Charlie Brown.

"I wished that we can do this every year." Barney said.

"All of this pandemonium?" Tosha joked, making Carlos giggle.

"No; I mean spending Thanksgiving with the people I love."

"Awwwwwwwww!" Heather smiled.

Barney and Lucy:
I love you, you love me
We're a happy family
With a great big hug
And a kiss from me to you
Won't you say you love me too?

"Amen." Linus commented.

Barney, Baby Bop, BJ, Barney's Friends and Peanuts Gang (Snoopy):
I love you, you love me
We're best friends like friends should be
With a great big hug
And a kiss from me to you
Won't you say you love me too?
(AROOOOOOOOOOOOOO)

"Oh, Snoopy..." Lila giggled.

"Here's to a merry Christmas." Heather smiled, raising her glass of juice.

"And a happy new year." Charlie Brown smiled back as the gang continued to eat together.

The End