Christmas: Snowbound at the Benbow

A/N: Hi, everyone! Jackie99 gave me permission to sequel their hilarious stories, so here we go. If nobody really likes it, I'll take it down and keep it for my private amusement. Remember, I own nothing.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"OK, pick a present, everybody!" Sarah Hawkins sang at her three guests.

Delbert Doppler, Captain Amelia Doppler, and Jim Hawkins stared blankly at the woman who stood before them in a red and green elf costume, complete with a bell-decked hat.

"Aw, come on, pick a present!" Sarah coaxed. "Pick a present or--or I'll have to do the Happy Elf Dance!" She clapped her hands together excitedly.

Jim, Captain Amelia, and Delbert promptly bolted for the Christmas tree and grabbed a present each. Nobody wanted to see the Happy Elf Dance for the fourth time that night.

It was a snowy Christmas Eve at the Admiral Benbow Inn, which doubled as the Hawkins family's home. The Inn was closed for the night, but the Dopplers had come over for Christmas dinner. Before dinner, though, Sarah had insisted that everyone take part in her "Russian Christmas" ritual. Everybody picked a present at random, but before they opened them, they could choose to exchange their present for someone else's. The presents were the usual novelty items that only get sold at Christmas--candy dispensers, bath sets, and magazine racks. Jim backed up towards the sofa, holding a gift wrapped in shiny blue paper speckled with snowflakes. He hoped it was one of those cool sausage and cheese sampler boxes.

Delbert shook his present curiously, but nothing rattled. "Drat."

"Well, if anybody wants to trade, now's the time!" Sarah announced, turning the TV set on. "The Year Without A Santa Claus" with all the marionettes was playing. Jim gritted his teeth. The marionettes had given him nightmares when he was a kid. Now, they chronically annoyed him.

"James, I do believe I'd like to trade with you," Captain Amelia stated, holding a present in Santa Claus paper out to Jim. He glanced suspiciously at the present. He didn't like the glint in Captain Amelia's green eyes. And he was well aware that she still sought to avenge herself for the sugar he'd put in her BMW's gas tank.

"Well, are you going to take it, Jim?" Sarah demanded.

"Yeah, sure." Jim threw his gift at Captain Amelia and took hers carefully, as though it were a time bomb. "Can we open them now, Ma?"

Sarah smiled and nodded.

Jim ripped the paper away from his gift to reveal a box of socks, every pair decorated with snowmen and Christmas trees. "Holy cow!" he yelped.

"Nice to see that you hold bovines so sacred, James," Captain Amelia muttered. She was precisely cutting through the paper on her gift with her tiny jacknife.

"Do you not see the socks?!" Jim shouted, dangling a pair from his fingers.

Sarah took one look at the socks and melted. "Oh, how adorable!" she squealed. "Try them on!"

Jim stared at her, aghast. "Ma, what the...they're red and green!"

"So? I'm wearing red and green. What's wrong with red and green?"

Jim glanced at her ridiculous suit and opened his mouth to respond, but quickly decided not to even go there.

"Ah, splendid! I love sausage," Captain Amelia said.

To Jim's horror, she had gotten the very box of sausages and cheese he'd been holding a few seconds ago. "Aw, you gotta be kidding me!" he wailed.

"You will wear the socks," Sarah ordered.

"No, I will not," Jim shot back.

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose! And if you ever saw it...whined an electronic voice from Delbert's location. Everybody stared as the scientist donned his gift: a pair of felt antlers affixed to a headband, decorated with flashy red lights, that would sing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" when you pushed its button.

"Most fascinating! Thank you very much, Sarah," Delbert said. The antlers on his head wiggled.

"Shoot me now," Jim moaned.

"Okay. Smile!" Sarah shouted. A camera flash nearly blinded Jim.

"Ma!" he cried, shielding his eyes with his arm. "Put that thing up!"

Sarah only cooed, "Awwww," and held the camera out so Jim could see the picture she'd just taken. On the camera's digital screen was a picture of Jim sitting on the sofa with all those colourful socks on his lap. "We'll send that one to Grandma!"

OoOoOoOoOoO

If you like, review. If you hate, review anyway!