The final chapter in the story of the former St. Charles Sugar Plum Fairy may have a happy ending after all.

Last week, Laura Coppinger, the St. Louis woman who found herself at the center of a storm after she flubbed an employment drug test and cursed, went Christmas shopping.

Coppinger initially thought there might be no presents under the tree after she was not hired as the Sugar Plum Fairy, a character she played for five years at the monthlong St. Charles Christmas Traditions event on historic Main Street. The city, which requires employee drug testing, said her behavior at the drug testing facility led to her not being hired.

But December has been kind to Coppinger.

After word of the actor's plight hit the media, support for her skyrocketed, and two of the merchants on Main Street hired her part time. She also got gigs with a printers group on Cherokee Street in St. Louis, a local men's choir and a print advertising job, among other things.

"My friends and I joke around that I'm fameish; I can be recognized anywhere as the cursing fairy," she said.

Coppinger, 29, has apologized for her bad behavior. She said she uttered the foul words out of frustration with herself after she accidentally flushed the toilet, which required her to submit another sample. She was instructed to return to the waiting room until she could provide one, and that was going to make her late for a job interview.

But Coppinger has made the most out of her situation.

When the city refused to give her back the Sugar Plum Fairy getup — including the big glittery wings she had bought herself — Coppinger came up with a new persona for her new Main Street job. Because she was going to be splitting her time between Grandma's Cookies and Riverside Sweets, she decided on the Sweet Tooth Fairy.

"It's the Sugar Plum Fairy's long-lost twin sister," Coppinger said. "She's from the south, the Antarctica land of the sweets."

The owners of the two businesses who hired Coppinger said she was very popular.

"We've gotten a lot of support and a lot of people have come out to see her," said Theresa Rubio, owner of Grandma's Cookies.

Jim Brown of Riverside Sweets said he got many phone calls supporting his hiring decision, which he said was not an attempt to undercut the city.

He said the public missed the Sugar Plum Fairy. "So did we, and this has worked out very well," Brown said.

It seems that the entire Christmas Traditions celebration had a banner year. St. Charles Mayor Sally Faith said many factors contributed to the success, including mild weather.

"As I'm down on Main Street talking with business owners, they have said this has been the best year they've ever had," she said.

Coppinger said she earned enough money from all of her new jobs to equal her pay from previous seasons with Christmas Traditions. She also works part time as a substitute teacher and has other acting jobs.

Since Coppinger's story started circulating, not all of the reaction has been positive.

For instance, some took issue with one of her other acting jobs — as a burlesque dancer.

"I think my biggest issue was with those who said maybe I shouldn't work with children because I do burlesque," she said. "But one gig does not relate to the other."

Denny Wofford, the board president for the Ambassadors of Harmony, a local men's choir, said he too got flak when he hired Coppinger for a cameo appearance in their holiday show.

A woman who identified herself as the director of Christmas Traditions called him to express her concern and disappointment with the choir, he said. She told him she was having second thoughts about attending their show.

Wofford said three similar calls followed, but the choir still kept Coppinger in the act.

"She was a hit, and she is a darling young lady," he said.

Faith said she had no knowledge of anyone from the city calling the Ambassadors of Harmony.

"Nobody from the city would do that," she said.

As for Coppinger's future with the Christmas festival next year, Faith said it's possible.

"It's open auditions; she's welcome to apply," Faith said.

To which Coppinger said she just might.

"I don't know that they'll have me after all this, but it's a job that I love," she said.