Ok fellas, it's time to deck the halls! Everyone ready for this year's Christmas story? :)

Mike: No.

Peter: I am!

Micky: You bet! :D

Davy: Ready, mates. :)

(We open with Peter in front of the Montgomery House. He carries out a box that says "Christmas lights.")

Peter: Come on, guys! The girls will only be out for so long with the kids!

Mike: (Carries two more boxes; does not wear a tie) Yeah, yeah.

Micky: *Also carries two boxes. He has a garland scarf around his neck and a Santa hat on his head.* We've gotta make a display that would make even the Grinch grin with the Christmas spirit.

Davy: *follows, carrying another box* Mick, your Christmas spirit is rathah sickening, you know that?

Micky: Thanks, Dave!

Peter: Micky, we are NOT covering a huge Victorian mansion with lights like you do your house.

Mike: Yeah, can you imagine what their electric bill would cost?

Micky: *sets his boxes down* I did not mean it quantity-wise. I already know the rules. I value my life.

Peter: Good. (Looks around) Ok, Mike and Micky, you take the right side closest to the street, near the parlor room and the music room. Davy and I will take the side with the kitchen and the downstairs studies. We'll all meet in the gardens.

Mike: I ain't sure I like the sound of that.

Peter: You didn't wear your tie, Mike, and we all know to be careful about what we staple.

Micky: *throws an arm around Mike's shoulder* Yeah, so what are you so afraid of?

Mike: I'm afraid we're both gonna end up hangin' for dear lives off the edge of the roof.

Micky: *rolls his eyes* Why do we have to go through this every year, Mike?

Mike: 'Cause we end up hangin' off the roof.

Peter: (Sighs) Michael, stop fussing and just go help Micky.

Mike: All right, all right! (Sighs as he picks up a box) I'm sorry, Mick. It's always been hard for me to get into the Christmas spirit. I get a lot of this from Em, too. She LOVES Christmas. She just put up garlands on all the windows and the wreath on our door.

Micky: I get that, Mike. We're just trying to help you out.

Mike: (As they head around the corner) I know. I guess it's just a knee-jerk reaction. Christmas always seemed like so...MUCH.

Micky: Yeah, it can be, but it can be subtle and beautiful, too.

Mike: (As they stop at the side of the house) Yeah, but you gotta remember, I'm from Texas. Subtle and beautiful ain't in a lot of people's vocabularies down there, especially the rich neighborhood I went to school at.

Micky: Well, believe it or not, but I'm gonna give you a lesson in such. *winks* Just because I like to be over the top doesn't mean that I can't do subtle.

Mike: (Raises an eyebrow) Oh really?

Micky: Really.

Mike: Well, we're gonna have to here. Pete doesn't want the Montgomery House to be too weird-looking. (Shrugs) And he's right. Doesn't really go with a Victorian house.

Micky: No worries, Mike, no worries.

Mike: Ok, who gets to go on the roof, and who gets to stand down here and sort things out?

Micky: I'll go up. I've gotten used to it.

("Jingle Bell Rock" begins as Mike holds the ladder so Micky can climb up to the roof. Mike hands Micky the first strands of lights while he goes through more on the ground.)

*Micky stretches out the strands and staples them down, but not in a straight line. He appears to be... drawing with them!* ;)

(Mike, who is still going through lights, looks up and calls to Micky. What are you doin', boy?)

*Micky waggles an index finger. It's a surprise!*

(Mike rolls his eyes and hands Micky more lights. He hangs small wreaths on the windows.)

*Micky continues his design, whistling along with the music!*

(Mike hangs garlands on the windows, ignoring Micky as much as possible.)

*Micky reloads his staple gun and continues on.*

(Mike climbs the ladder to bring more lights...and to see what he's up to.)

*Micky greets Mike at the top of the ladder, blocking as much of the view of his design as possible.*

(Mike tries to peer around him, not realizing how much he's making the ladder tip... )

*Micky sees the ladder starting to tip & grabs the top of it. Be careful!*

(Mike scrambles onto the roof and concentrates. A staple gun appears in a blue light. While he's up here, why doesn't he help?)

*Micky sighs and tells Mike about the design.*

(Mike nods, sighs, and goes to the other side to start stapling. He's not sure how Pete's gonna like this, but hey, he's the one who let Mick decorate.)

(Mike and Micky keep stapling, not looking where they're going. We see them pass by each other vertically from the front, then horizontally. Mike finally looks up...to find someone has stapled the sleeve of his jacket to the roof. He tries to shake it off without knocking himself onto the ground.)

*Micky just keeps on stapling.*

(Mike tries to call to Micky for help, but he almost sends himself off the roof again. He pulls as hard as he can, finally managing to shake his jacket off. He leaves it hanging by one sleeve and continues stapling.)

(The two finish as the song ends. Mike sits back on his knees, stretching his back.)

Mike: Man, that was some work.

Micky: Yeah, but worth it.

Mike: I hope Pete digs it.

Micky: Pete will like it.

Mike: Now...could you help me get my jacket out of the staple?

Micky: What? *sees the jacket attached to the roof* Ohhh. Uh, yeah, I can help with that.

Peter: (We see him crawl around the side of the roof as Mike and Micky work on freeing the jacket; he looks up, stapler in hand) Oh, hi guys!

Mike: Hi, Pete. Done on your end?

Peter: Just about. Davy's working on the garland on the windows.

Micky: Well, we're all set up here, other than freeing Mike's jacket, that is.

Peter: (Frowns) How did you do that, Michael?

Mike: It's a long story, Pete.

Peter: And Micky... (takes a good look at the light design) what's that?

Micky: *smiles* A Christmas tree.

Peter: It's nice, Micky. Very festive.

*Micky grins at Mike.*

Peter: (Sighs) However, I'm not so sure Valerie will like it.

Micky: But it's just the outline! It's very simple!

Peter: You're not going to take it down. I like it. Val might think it's a little much (grins) but I'll talk her into it.

Mike: (Mutters) It IS a little much. (Peter elbows him)

Peter: Why don't we work on the inside now? We'll do everything but the tree. We always let Jordan help with the family tree in the parlor, and the florists put up the big tree in the ballroom.

Micky: *rubs his hands together* Just what I've been waiting for!

Mike: (Shrugs) I've never decorated such a big house before, with all those fancy antiques.

Peter: The florists will be coming by to do the ballroom tomorrow, but Valerie said we could do whatever we want as long as we don't damage anything and leave the tree for when she and Jordan come home.

Micky: Point me to the first room!

Peter: Let's go, then! (He starts to stand...and almost falls off the roof! Micky and Mike help right him) Um, but first, let's finish the lights and get off the roof.

Mike: Right.

(Cut to the main hall of the Montgomery House. The guys have piles of boxes sitting on a table near the entrance.)

Peter: Ok, guys. You each know where you're going to go and where you get to decorate, right? I told Val I'd do the parlor room and the music room, and I could do our bedroom.

Mike: I get the formal livin' room and the studies.

Peter: Micky, you'll take the kitchen, formal dining room, Jordan's playroom downstairs, and Chrissy's room in the basement.

Mike: Just don't eat them out of house and home.

Micky: Very funny, Mike.

Peter: Davy, you get the upstairs library and the remaining bedrooms.

Mike: (Leans over Peter and whispers) Smart, Pete. Keep the kids out of the way of each other.

Davy: Gotcha, mate.

Peter: (Whispers back) Valerie doesn't want blood on the Christmas decorations.

Peter: Ok, everyone get moving! We only have about an hour or so before the ladies return from shopping and lunch with the kids and Micky has to take his turn picking up the twins from school.

Micky: And if I'm late, I get my butt kicked.

Mike: (As he picks up his box and he and Micky head for the back of the house) Hey Mick, how are the twins diggin' school?

Mike: I know Katie's rarin' to go next year. She's so smart. She's already readin', an' she's only four.

Micky: They're loving it so far!

Mike: (He heads for the formal dining room) I hope they're bein' good. No incidents with Mick eatin' paste or fightin' with the other kids?

Micky: No fighting. Mick eats enough paste at home.

Mike: (Sighs) Where has the time gone? I can't believe my little cowgirl's ready to go to school. At least we'll still have Robbie at home for a while. That boy sure is growin'!

Micky: Face it, Mike. We're getting old.

Mike: I've BEEN old.

(He starts setting out the boxes on a table in the formal living room.)

Micky: Well, at least you spoke for yourself.

Mike: Yeah, well, sometimes I feel as if I've lived a thousand years, and not just because of the ancestor thing, either. (Holds out a weird red-and-green plastic item that looks like a castle surrounded by a roller coaster track) I wonder what in the heck THIS is supposed to be?

Micky: I have no idea what that is.

Mike: Pete keeps weird stuff. (He puts the item on a table and pulls out garlands)

*Micky shrugs and pulls out more lights and some garlands.*

(Mike begins to hang garland over the window. We hear a little giggle as the garlands somehow seem to move by themselves.)

Mike: Hey Mick, I need more tacks!

Micky: Sure, Mike! *Goes to grab the tacks, but finds them gone. He looks all around.* Hey Mike, the tacks were on the table, right?

Mike: (Doesn't look at Micky) Yeah. I thought they were, anyway.

*Micky spins around, looking for the tacks. He kneels to look under the table, which moves on its own. When he stands, he smacks his head on the table.*

Micky: *winces, rubbing his head* Ow! Who moved the table?

Mike: Wasn't me! (He turns around...just in time to see the table move back to where it was) Ok, there's somethin' weird goin' on around here. (Makes a face) Or someONE...

Micky: *gets up* I didn't do it!

*Emerald suddenly appears right in front of Micky's face.*

Mike: I knew it.

Micky: *jumps* Emerald! Don't DO that!

Mike: Hi, kiddo.

Emerald: Emerald sorry! Just wanted to goof around.

Micky: It's okay. No harm done.

Emerald: *floats over to Mike* Hi!

Mike: Hey there. We're just workin' on the decoratin'.

Emerald: Pretty! *giggles*

Mike: Yeah. Pete n' Davy are upstairs. We're gettin' ready for Christmas.

Emerald: Ooooohhh, Christmas! Did Emerald mention she wants a scarf?

Micky: I seem to recall that, Emerald.

Mike: I'm sure we'll figure out somethin', kid. Hey, you know this house better than anyone else. Why don't you help us decorate? Maybe you could decorate your room.

Emerald: Emerald like! Need some decorations! *Dives into one of the boxes and rummages...noisily.*

Micky: *makes a face* I'm not so sure that was a good idea, Mike.

Mike: Um... (peers into the box) Hey, Em, I think there's still a box or two left in the attic or in the closets in the upstairs bedroom.

Emerald: *pops out, making Mike jump back* Emerald go visit upstairs!

Mike: Uh, yeah, kid. You do that.

(An instrumental version of "We Three Kings" begins as Emerald floats out of the living room, giggling. Mike sighs as Micky heads over to the dining room.)

Mike: Hey, Mick? (He follows Micky...and takes one of his boxes off the top of Micky's pile) I need that.

Micky: Sorry! *pauses* What's in that one?

Mike: Some kind of display with a lot of glass thingies.

Micky: Oh. *frowns* I doubt Pete and Val would want me handling that anyway.

Mike: No. No, they wouldn't.

Micky: You didn't have to agree so quickly you know, Mike.

Mike: I just felt like it.

(He takes the box as we cut back upstairs. Peter hangs holly on the doors. Davy can be seen working on garlands in a bedroom...but he doesn't see something small and green duck into one of the boxes...)

Peter: (As he comes in with some holly) That's the last of... (Eyes widen; gasps) The box is moving, Dave! :o

Davy: Wot? *Turns and sees the box move* Bloody...wot's in there?

*The fellas lean over the box and get a surprise in the form of Emerald bounding from the box, giggling.*

Peter: (Jumps back) Whoa! Emerald, what are you doing there?

Emerald: Emerald play! Have fun!

Peter: Em, you scared the bejeezus out of us!

Davy: *nods* I think I just lost two years off of my life.

Emerald: Emerald sorry! Didn't mean to frighten!

Peter: That's ok. We just weren't expecting to see a ghost today. We're working on Christmas decorating. Davy and I are almost finished up here.

Emerald: Emerald visited Micky and Mike already. Emerald like decorations!

Peter: We're glad you do, Emerald. (Nods at the box) There's a few things left in there. Maybe you could find something you could use for your room.

Emerald: Okay! *dives back into the box*

Peter: Have fun, Emerald. I'm going to see how Micky and Mike are doing downstairs.

Emerald: *from inside the box* Thank you!

Peter: You're welcome. (Nods at Davy) Come on. Let's go see if the other two are done yet. They have more to do down there.

Davy: *nods* Okay, Petah.

(Mike meets them downstairs. He's hauling a load of empty boxes to the main entranceway.)

Mike: I'm just about done. Just need to do a few more things in the livin' room.

Peter: What about Micky?

Davy: You didn't do anything to 'im, did you?

Mike: Not that I know of. I just came from the large study.

Peter: Let's go see what he's up to.

Mike: God, I hope there's somethin' left in your kitchen.

Peter: I'm sure he knows what he's doing. There's no chemicals he can blow up in there.

(We suddenly hear the sounds of clattering and crashing from in the kitchen.)

Micky: Um, I need a little help in here, I think...I think I hurt myself.

(The guys all exchange looks and hurry in the kitchen as we fade out.)