An All Dogs Christmas Carol

chapter 4

"Guys, where do you suppose Belladonna hid that giant whistle?" Itchy asked.

"I have no idea." Patch said.

After a scooter passed when Charlie first opened the manhole cover, he opened it again and let them all out onto the surface.

Patch shivered and shook himself dry from the sewery waters. "Blech!"

Atticus soon came out of the manhole next.

"Don't worry, guys," Patch said to Charlie and Itchy. "We'll think of something."

"Yeah." Atticus said.

"Maybe Sasha will know," Charlie sighed, looking rather depressed. "I'm certainly out of ideas."

Atticus and Patch met up with the others as Anne-Marie was visiting David.

"Maybe Annabelle will know what to do." Patch said.

"I'm not afraid of that demon dog." Atticus scoffed.

"I know." Patch said.

"Surely there's something to help..." Mo said.

"We'll need to find a way to change Carface to good." Atticus said.

Darla walked over with her hands in her pockets with Anne-Marie.

"Hey, girls, have a good visit with David?" Atticus smiled.

"Yeah, his step-mom makes wonderful gingerbread cookies." Darla smiled back, putting her hands together.

"We brought some back for you." Anne-Marie added in as she took out a tin container filled with the cookies now.

"Mm." Patch smiled.

Anne-Marie popped the top of the container off and let the others have some cookies.

"They're really good." Darla encouraged.

"If only there was a way to get Carface to break his deal with Belladonna..." Atticus said as he took his cookie.

"Well, too bad this isn't the Christmas Carol thing," Darla shrugged. "That's how you guys got me to like Christmas last year."

"That's it!" Atticus smiled.

Darla and Anne-Marie gasped in slight surprise of his outburst.

"Darla, that's a 'Dickens' of a plan." Atticus said to his little sister.

"It is...?" Darla asked.

"It is." Atticus nodded.

Darla smiled sheepishly and grinned to herself as she gave her big brother a smart idea.

"We'll do the same idea we used to get Darla to understand Christmas." Atticus said.

"You didn't understand Christmas?" Anne-Marie asked.

"Last year wasn't the best year for me." Darla bit her lip nervously.

"Well, now you understand Christmas." Mo said.

"Yeah..." Darla said. "Guess we just have to make Carface do the same."

"I don't think Mr. Carface has had a Merry Christmas in all his life." Anne-Marie wrinkled her nose in disgust of the pit bull dog.

"Well then, we'll have to figure out why." Mo said.

"Indeed." Annabelle's voice agreed.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Annabelle..." Patch sighed before gulping and doing a double take. "Annabelle?!"