A Puppy for Christmas Page #2

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best possible scenario:

one of you dies!

Noelle...

Can I have a moment?

[Buster whimpers]

I am so sorry about

what happened in there--

You keep asking for extensions,

and I'm beginning to suspect

that you haven't

writtenanything.

I won't sleep,

until it's done.

Noelle...

I don't think you're

cut out for features.

I'm killing the story.

No, please don't!

I have worked too hard for this!

[Felicia sighs]

Look,

why don't you take the

rest of the week off.

Half of the office

is away anyway.

[indistinct crash]

[Buster chewing]

No pets allowed!

Oh Buster...

[Buster whimpers]

What have I done?

[sighs]

You work so hard...

but what's the point?

[Buster whimpers]

[Noelle sighs]

You're better than therapy,

you know that?

[Noelle sighs]

I always wanted

a puppy for Christmas.

[Buster whimpers]

Now you're all I have.

[Buster whimpers]

[sighs]

[Liam whistling]

Rise and shine!

[Buster whimpers]

What are you doing here?

What amIdoing here?

What areyoudoing here?

Gram was quite the artist,

she used to make these,

and Jessica's coming to

visit for Christmas,

I wanted to give her one.

[Buster barking]

Well if it isn't

the little sandwich thief!

Hey!

What's this guy's name anyway?

NOELLE:
Buster.

Because he keeps

busting up my life.

I have no boyfriend, no

home, and soon, no job.

Todd broke up with me.

Uh...

well could you not head

to your parents place?

For some holiday cheer?

[nervous chuckle]

[chuckles] Yeah.

You mean ah, with my Mom

and her racist boyfriend?

Or my Dad and his new

family that hates me?

Yeah, I know this is

gonna sound strange but,

why don't you come with me?

We've got plenty of

room at the farm.

NOELLE:
Are you asking me to

go to your family's place?

LIAM:
Well, it's only

four days till Christmas

and you can't stay here.

NOELLE:
[sighs] Well...

LIAM:
Hey, maybe some fresh

air would do you good, you know?

There's plenty of room for

this little guy to run around.

Could help you train him.

NOELLE:
Well...

He does need some training...

[Liam chuckles]

You know we're going to a farm?

Maybe uh...

maybe some jeans?

I'm not gonna wearjeans.

[chuckles] Suit yourself.

NOELLE:
Wow, we are

reallyout here.

So uh, when is

Jessica coming up?

Well, her trip to Peru got

extended

so she'll be coming up tomorrow.

Hmm.

I cannot wait to

show her all of this.

I can't wait to meet her.

You'll love her!

She ah, [laughs]

she stole my heart.

I knew the minute I met

her that I--

[sighs] I'm sorry,

is this hard for you?

I didn't even think before I

started talking--

No, it's okay.

Honestly it's...

kind of nice to talk to

someone at thebeginning

of their marriage instead

of the end of it.

That research of yours has

got you pretty stumped, huh?

You know,

when I hit a road block,

I just start writing

without thinking.

NOELLE:
I bet.

LIAM:
I write from the heart

and just keep on going.

So uh, your last

"hang gliding" article,

that was from the heart?

That wasparasailing, okay?

-Hmm!

And I wrote

that one from my soul.

NOELLE:
Wow.

Anyway, ah...

back to you and Jessica.

How did you meet?

LIAM:
We were doing one of these

outdoor adventure courses,

and uh, [laughs] we were both

crawling on our hands and knees

through mud - it was one of the

obstacles in the race, and ah,

you know I think when you see

someone else go through sort

of that much physical pain...

[conversation fades]

[upbeat Christmas music]

[Liam & Noelle laughing

and celebrating]

LIAM:
Okie dokie.

I just gotta pop it

into 4 wheel drive here.

Gets a little bit bumpy

up ahead, hold on.

[Liam whistling]

LIAM:
Whoa - there we go!

[upbeat Christmas music]

NOELLE:
Wow.

It's so peaceful.

Wait until you see inside.

[Noelle chuckles]

[crash]

NOELLE:
Oh!

LIAM:
Oh - y-

EVERYONE:
Surprise!!

NOELLE:
Oh my gosh! Uh....

MAN:
We have heard

so much about you!

NOELLE:
Oh...?

WOMAN:
Guess you didn't

tan much in Peru!

MAN:
Yeah, do they eat

guinea pig down there?

Or is that not true?

NOELLE:
Uh...

MAN:
You're even

prettier in person!

NOELLE:
[laughs]

WOMAN:
Merry

Christmas tome!

MAN:
Did'ya git

to birth a llama?

NOELLE:
One moment, please!

Okay...

NOELLE:
Excuse me.

Why didn't you call

ahead to tell them

youweren'tcoming with Jessica?

[laughing]

I'm sorry about that,

the reception is

really bad out here.

And how did those

people get here anyway?

That road we drove up, looked

like it hadn't been used

in a hundred years!

In fact - I don't

think it was a road!

There's a paved

driveway in the front.

Oh! The back road's faster.

LIAM:
Look everybody!

Ah, this is all so unexpected,

but there's something I should

really clear up, look--

OLD MAN:
You're

under the mistletoe!

EVERYONE (chanting):

Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!

OLD MAN:
What're ya chicken?

Kiss the girl!

LIAM:
Ah, OK, whoa, whoa!

Everybody calm down okay

[nervous chuckle]

this is not Jessica!

This is Noelle from work.

NOELLE:
Hi!

OLD MAN:
What're

you a swinger now?

[laughter]

LIAM:
Gramps?! Whoa!

Easy! No!

Jessica's flight got delayed,

she'll be here tomorrow!

And uh,

Noelle just got dumped

and she had no place to go, so--

[crowd gasps]

Oh my god, I'm sorry.

No I didn't - that

came out wrong...

WOMAN:
Moonshine?

Yes, please!

[club music]

[group laughing]

MAN:
Models and bottles baby!

[group cheering]

[humming"Angels

We Have Heard on High"]

Whoa! Do you--

do you need some help?

Nah, [chuckles] I've

been putting this angel on the

tree for almost fifty years now.

Did Liam's grandma make it?

She did!

Remarkable woman.

You must miss her.

Not a day goes by

that I don't think of her.

Especially over the holidays.

But with this on the tree,

it kind of feels like

she's still here.

That's beautiful...

Well...

at least for this last year.

Last year?

We've been running

this Christmas tree farm

for over forty one years now.

I used to do all the chopping,

but [chuckles] she

was the brains.

Just got too

expensive to maintain.

Sometimes,

life throws you curve balls.

NOELLE (slurring): That

moonshine sure was good!

LIAM:
Whoa, I think

I got drunk

smelling your breath!

NOELLE:
Hmm...

why am I Santa?

LIAM:
Well, you insisted on

trading outfits with my sister.

[laughs]

Oh, I bet she loved that.

LIAM:
Okay Mrs. Claus,

it's time for you to

dream of the North Pole.

NOELLE:
Hmm...

Hey Liam?

[sighs]

Thanks for inviting me.

Your fianc's going

to love it here.

Goodnight.

(pouting) I wanna be a fiance!

[blows raspberry]

[Buster whimpering]

[knocking]

You up, candy cane?

NOELLE:
Yeah!

Just getting

my life back on track!

Wow, you sure are

chipper this morning!

That moonshine is magical!

I'm not even hungover!

Yeah, you passed out

at like eight o'clock.

JOYCE:
Oh - what is this?

My Life Plan!

JOYCE:
Huh.

Reach Second Base with JTT?

That was a while ago...

I amnotgoing to stay down!

I'm the girl who won

the library contest!

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