zahra

“Is this the same room we were in last time?” Victoria asked.

“I asked Rodney if it was possible. He made some arrangements.” Ethan smiled.

“You didn’t have to do that. Another room would’ve been fine.”

Ethan pulled Victoria into his arms. “I wanted to. This place is special to us. We’ll be coming back a lot so I wanted to make it as magical as possible.”

“So you think we’ll be coming back a lot? Might I ask with who?” Victoria smirked as she wrapped her arms around Ethan’s neck.

“Well I happened to notice there was a children section in one of the cabins. Maybe if we have a child of our own, we can take them there.” Ethan smiled.

“And if we do what can we do?”

“I’m making it my mission to teach you to ski, so that in the future you’re a pro.”

“You mean I’ve got to fall several times in order to be good?” Victoria laughed.

“Precisely.” Ethan laughed.

“Well no better time to start than the present.” Victoria opened the door.

“Right now?”

“Yes, unless you’re not up to the challenge?”

“You know I’m not someone who backs down from one.”

The couple headed out their hotel room, ready to have some fun.

“Well I didn’t think that was too bad.” Victoria laughed as her and Ethan walked into the hotel lobby.

“You fell over at least six times, even I didn’t manage that the first time I did it.” Ethan laughed.

“Because you’re so good at everything. Expect pancake making.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “You’re never going to let me live that down.”

“You wouldn’t want me to.” Victoria laughed.

Victoria and Ethan headed to their room, unlocking the door with their keycard.

“Now that activity is out the way how about a bath?” Ethan said.

“Excellent idea. This bubble packet looks too good to miss. And there’s more! I’m taking them back with me.”

“Our bathroom cabinet is already filled up with stuff from our honeymoon.” Ethan laughed as he turned the baths tap on.

“It was a very luxurious hotel! Might as well steal what we can legally.” Victoria shrugged.

Ethan took his clothes off. “Sometimes I’ll never understand how your brain works.”

Victoria stepped out of her clothes and into the hot tub. “It’s better than letting them go to waste.” She shrugged.

Ethan stepped in behind her and pulled her close to his chest. “Luckily you’re still cute.”

“It’s why you married me.” Victoria said as she snuggled against Ethan’s chest.

Ethan laughed. “That and so many other reasons.”

Victoria woke up early on New Years Day, despite her and Ethan having a late one the night before.

Surprisingly, Ethan beside her was still fast asleep so Victoria quietly got out of bed and pulled on the complimentary dressing gown and headed into the bathroom. By the time she had finished and exited, Ethan was sat up in bed.

“You’re up early.” Ethan said.

“I was surprised to wake up before you. It’s usually the other way around.” Victoria chuckled.

“Well you did keep me up late last night. And you tired me out too. I think I deserve the extra sleep.” Ethan laughed.

“You definitely enjoyed yourself.” Victoria said as she climbed back into bed.

“So did you. I can’t believe it’s a new year. I wonder what will happen this year.” Ethan said as he wrapped his arms around Victoria.

“We’ve got that week away in Madison to look forward to. I’m sure we’ll find something at the end of the year too. We’re becoming travellers.” Victoria laughed.

“Maybe there will also be a little addition to our family too.” Ethan smiled.

“Maybe. Can you imagine us as parents?”

“I think we would be good. You would be an amazing Mom.” Ethan replied.

“And you would be an amazing Dad. And like you said, we could bring them here one day. I bet they would love all the snow.”

“They would. We could build a snowman, have a snowball fight. And then come inside and have a hot chocolate.” Ethan said.

“Sounds like we have some plans for the future.” Victoria smiled.

Ethan pressed a delicate kiss to her forehead. “Exciting ones.”

2023 was going to be a great year. Ethan and Victoria were going to make sure of it.

Maybe I should now write a fic of E and V taking Luke and Lily to dagger mountain lol

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All Fics & Edits: @a-crepusculo @annfg8 @bex-la-get @bluebelle08 @cariantha @choicesaddict5 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @doriopenheart @genevievemd @headoverheelsforramsey @lucy-268 @jamespotterthefirst @jerzwriter @mysticalgalaxysstuff @openheartforeverinmyheart @peonierose @takemyopenheart @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction @vi-writes-stuff @zahrachoices

As Ethan looked over the box of ornaments, Jan asked, “Why do you get so grumpy during Christmas time?”

“Maybe because I’m pushed to do things that I don’t want to do,” he snarked back.  

“Or he’s just a grumpy old man trying to play the part of Scrooge,” a passing voice interjected.

“If you know what’s best you’ll keep on walking, Rookie,” he admonished, shaking his head in disapproval but secretly finding her sass quite charming.  

Sawyer saluted him over her shoulder as she stayed on the path to her next patient’s room.  

The senior nurse laughed at their interaction then brought his attention back to the current vexation. 

“Hon, what’s so bad about a Secret Santa exchange?”

“Secret Santa gifts fall into two categories.  Junk you don’t need and jokes that aren’t funny.”

“Be that as it may, isn’t it nice to know someone is thinking about you?”   

“Not when most people think you’re an asshole.”

“Then wouldn’t doing something nice show ‘em the sweet underneath all that sour?” 

Ethan rolled his eyes. 

“Put me down for the frog,” as he hung the ornament on a small artificial Christmas tree. 

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

“Hi Jan! I got a page?” Sawyer hurried to the nurses’ desk.

“Yes, sweetheart, we are picking ornaments tomorrow to determine Secret Santas, and I didn’t see your name on the list.  Did you still want to participate?”

“Oh shoot, I’m sorry.  Yes, I do.  I’ve been so preoccupied the last few days,” she confessed thinking of Naveen.  “So, how does it work?” 

“Choose an ornament, show me which one you pick, and then hang it on the tree.  You’ll pick a different ornament from the tree tomorrow, I’ll tell you who it belongs to, and that’s who you play Santa for,” Jan explained.  

Sawyer sifted through the last few ornaments. 

“Hmm, coffee machine or pickle?” she asked herself, dangling an ornament in each hand.

From the corner of her eye Sawyer spotted Ethan coming up the hall with a Derry Roaster’s to-go cup in hand.

“Coffee machine it is,” she smiled, placing her ornament on the tree. 

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

The following day Ethan approached the nurses’ station. 

“Good morning, Jan.”

“Mornin’ kiddo.  Looks like the early bird gets the worm.”

“Pardon?”

“I just set up the Secret Santa tree. Since you’re here bright and early you can have the first pick.”

“Lucky me,” he said with his usual sarcastic disdain.  

Ethan strategically scanned the tree, eyes finally landing on a small but detailed coffee machine ornament. 

“This one,” he thought.  “Easy gift.  Mug and a gift card for coffee.  Done.” 

After morning rounds Sawyer and Sienna lingered at the nurses’ station to select the ornaments that would determine their Secret Santa assignments.  

“Ooh, it’s a Grinch.  I love that movie,” Sienna considered the ornament.    

“You know there’s a good chance that belongs to either Mirani or Ramsey, right?” Sawyer kidded.  

Sienna reconsidered, “Good point.  Oh, look!  A gingerbread man.”

“That’s probably a safe bet,” Sawyer encouraged, her gaze shifting to a bright green object hiding behind some tinsel. “Tadpole,” she whispered, removing the frog ornament from the tree.  

The following week the Internal Medicine staff met at Donahue’s for their holiday get-together and gift exchange.  Several tables at the back of the pub had been pushed together to allow everyone to gather around.  Inexpensive decorations, plates with holiday treats (courtesy of Sienna), and a first round of drinks filled the long makeshift table.  A small artificial Christmas tree adorned with their Secret Santa ornaments sat atop a side table.  The gifts everyone brought for their assigned recipients nestled underneath and all around the tree.  

“Are you guys ready to open presents?” Ines asked giddy with excitement.  

The doctors went around the table taking turns opening their gifts and showing everyone what they received.  

“Oh my gosh, these are hilarious!” Sienna excitedly cried out. 

She held up the oven mitts, one with the phrase ‘When in doubt’ and the other with the phrase ‘Pull it out.’ 

On her turn Jackie tore away the last bit of wrapping paper from her gift. 

“Yeah, baby,” her voice sultry as she held up the box containing six shot glasses and a serving tray with the engraved words ‘Tequila may not be the answer, but it is worth a shot.’

Next, Landry held up a black t-shirt with lettering that read ‘Can’t. I’m Studying.’ 

Excited to find something else in his gift bag, he quickly pulled out a black shadow box.  Elijah who sat next to him let out a boisterous laugh.  As Landry’s face blushed with embarrassment someone shouted, “Let’s see, Olsen!” 

Landry shook his head trying to push the item back into the bag.  

“Come on, Landry.  It’s all in good fun.  What is it?” another called out. 

Landry hesitantly pulled the item back out and turned it around for all to see.  Underneath the glass were letters that read ‘In case of miracle, break glass' and fastened in the middle was a condom.  The room burst into laughter.  Even Ethan who insisted that gift exchange jokes weren’t funny couldn’t hold back a pant of amusement.  

When it was Sawyer’s turn she lifted the lid from the elegant gift box and carefully unfolded the tissue paper.  A huge grin appeared on her face as she read the words 'You’re my favorite pain in the ass.' And with that she knew with one hundred percent certainty who her Secret Santa was.  She held up the mug in one hand and a bag of Derry Roaster’s brand specialty coffee in the other.

“Dr. Mirani, you shouldn’t have,” Sawyer joked to keep everyone from sniffing out the real Santa.  

“I didn’t,” he deadpanned, ignoring those who thought the jab was funny.  

As the next doctor unwrapped their gift Sawyer looked to the other side of the table meeting Ethan’s eyes.  She shook her head slightly with a smile and bit her bottom lip to prevent anything more than a silent chuckle.  He responded with a knowing wink.  

With only two recipients left it was Ethan’s turn to open his gift.  He stripped away the wrapping paper and lifted the lid off the plain white box.  Folding back the tissue paper he first noticed a pair of black and white checkered socks accented with the words “Grumpy Old Man.”  

He lifted them up for all to see, earning some laughs and nods of agreement.  Setting the socks aside he picked up the other object in the box.  Unfolding a gold hinged picture frame his eyes filled with surprise, a little pain, then warmth.  Instead of finding stock photos behind the glass he found one of him and Dolores, and the other of her son, his namesake. 

“Uh, it’s a picture frame,” he shared with the group, folding the frame back together and laying it gently in the box.  

As the attention in the room shifted to Ines opening her gift, Ethan looked back down at the folded frame.  Staring at it for a moment he felt overcome with emotion.  No one had ever given him such a thoughtful gift before and there was only one person in the room who would know how much the sentiment would mean to him.  Lifting his gaze he immediately locked eyes with Sawyer.  She offered him a tender smile and he nodded his appreciation.

With the gift exchange complete the party-goers started to break off into smaller groups of conversation.  Some went to play darts, others to dance around the jukebox.  Ethan retreated to his usual spot at the bar for a quiet drink.  

“Can I get you another, Ethan?” Reggie asked. 

“No, thank you,” handing Reggie his credit card.  “Reggie, put the final tabs from the party on that too.”  

“You sure, buddy?  I think a few of them are just getting started.”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

A couple minutes later Reggie returned Ethan’s card. 

“Thanks, Reg.  I’ll see you later.”

“Goodnight, man.”

Sawyer stood at the back of the bar watching a dart game as Ethan pulled on his coat and tucked his gift under his arm.  He lifted his head and she turned in his direction as though they could hear the silent call of the other.  Disappointed to find him leaving so soon she frowned and raised her hand to softly gesture goodbye.  Reaching across with his free hand he gripped the side of the box that he cradled under his other arm.  Another indication of his gratitude before turning and slipping quietly out the front door.  

An hour later Sawyer dug through her purse suddenly remembering she left her debit card in the pocket of her lab coat.  

“Dammit,” she said under her breath. 

“You okay?” Reggie asked. 

“I left my debit card at work.  I can run over there and grab it and be back in 10 minutes.  I promise.”

“It’s all good, Sawyer. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“That’s kind, Reggie, but-”

“Your tabs have already been taken care of,” he cut in.

“They have? By who?”

He tilted his head to the empty barstool that Ethan normally occupied. 

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Sawyer delivered the tin of leftover party cookies to Naveen’s room.  Finding him still awake they chatted for a little while about the party and the funny gifts that had been exchanged. When he started dozing off she said goodnight and navigated her way out of the dark construction zone.

Passing by Ethan’s office on the way to the elevators she noticed his door cracked open and lights on.  Peering in she saw Ethan holding the gold frame and studying the photos behind the glass.  She knocked gently, poking her head through as he placed the frame on the corner of his desk. 

“Hi. I thought you had gone home.”

“Some labs I ordered earlier for Naveen were ready.  I was anxious to review them tonight,” he said sitting down behind his desk. “What are you doing back here?”

“I went to pay my tab and realized I left my debit card in my locker.  I came to grab it.  I also brought some leftover goodies to Naveen,” she explained approaching his desk.  “Thank you, by the way, for picking up our tabs tonight.  Everyone really appreciated it.  I think you might have even scored some ‘cool guy’ points with the interns tonight.”

“Well, I can’t have my reputation tainted like that.  I suppose I’ll have to berate a few of them tomorrow to restore the natural order of things around here.”

Her infectious laugh brought a small smile to his face.  

“It’s crazy how we ended up being each other’s Secret Santa.  I suppose the frog ornament both reminded us of-”

“Dolores,” he finished for her, eyes drifting to the corner of his desk.

“Do you like it?” she asked in an almost whisper. 

He turned his head and looked her directly in the eyes, “Very much.”

He watched her beautiful greens sparkle while her lips turned up into a precious smile. 

“How’d you get the photos?”

“Alma.  We’ve kept in touch.  She sends me updates about the baby.  I asked if she had any photos of Dolores and she found this one.”

“It’s perfect.  Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she smiled again.  “And thank you for the coffee and mug.  I knew you favored me,” she winked.

Not able to deny it, a brief silence fell between them.  

“Well, I should get going. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, turning to leave.

“Hold on a second,” retrieving something from his desk drawer he stood, “I have something else for you.” 

He walked around to the front of his desk to face her. 

“Here.”

“What’s this?” she looked curiously at the standard white envelope.

“The rest of your Christmas present.”

Sawyer untucked the flap of the envelope and pulled out a round-trip plane ticket to Arizona.  

“I…I don’t understand,” she said looking up at him.

“You had mentioned once that you’ve always spent New Year’s Eve with your family because it’s your dad’s birthday.  And I overheard you speaking to Dr. Trinh about your reasons for not going home this year.”

Sawyer had told Sienna that even if she could convince Dr. Ramsey into giving her a couple days off she couldn’t afford the plane ticket on her intern salary. 

“Dr. Rams-” 

“Sawyer, you can call me by my first name when it’s just the two of us.”

“Okay,” eyes drifting to the ticket again.  “You did know there was a $25 limit for the gift exchange, right?”

That earned a genuine laugh from Ethan.

“I guess I went a little over.”

“A little over?!” she exclaimed, “This is a first-class ticket. I…I can’t accept this.  It’s way too much.”

“Yes, you can,” he argued.  “Consider it my way of thanking you for your help with Naveen.  You’ve been on the case with me 24/7 for weeks.  You deserve a break.  I’ve already cleared you from the schedule.  It will be a quick trip, but I do hope you’ll still enjoy the time with your family.”

“But what about Dr. Banerji? Who will help you while I’m away?”

“I can manage it for a couple days.”

She contemplatively looked down at the ticket in her hands then slowly lifted her glistening eyes to his.

“Can I…,” she hesitated. “Can I give you a hug?”

He scanned her face for a moment before nodding affirmatively.  She moved into his space wrapping one arm around his shoulder and tucking the other under his arm. As he relaxed into her he mimicked her movements.  The sides of their heads rested against one another just long enough to breathe in each other’s scent.  

“Thank you so much,” she spoke softly, reluctantly pulling away. 

Before stepping out of each other’s personal space their eyes briefly met each other's lips. Then cautiously they both stepped back to a more appropriate distance, eyes now focused on the other's.   

“Merry Christmas, Rookie.”

“Merry Christmas, Ethan.”

Grabbing his jacket off on the coat rack he guided her to the door.  “Come on, it’s late and it's starting to snow.  I’ll give you a ride home.”  

While the group of friends all discuss their different resolutions—work out more, stop eating so much fast food, attempt a vacation, among the few shouted out—Naomi’s eyes scan the bar. It’s packed and dimly lit, so she can’t see too much except the tops of people’s heads, covered in bright glittery hats. She’s about to give her attention back to her rowdy bunch of friends when she sees a tall imposing man in her peripheral vision. It’s Dr. Ramsey—Ethan—sitting at the bar, eyes glue to the television behind Reggie as CNN’s New Year’s Countdown special plays.

“Guys, I’ll be right back,” Naomi says, sliding out of seat.

“Hurry! The ball will drop soon.”

Naomi maneuvers through the throngs of people with very little finesse, getting jostled multiple times along the way. But she makes it to the bar, smiling at Reggie. The bartender gives her smile back and that simple act causes Ethan to turn around to see who’s captured his attention.

“Hi Dr. Ramsey.”

Forever observant, Ethan gives Naomi a once over from head to toe, his eyes not lingering for too long, but he manages to memorize everything about her. The ridiculously high and strappy heels she’s wearing, the way her pants cling to her like a second layer of skin, the way her glittery top catches every speck of light this bar has to offer, the slight flush of her cheeks, probably because she’s had a drink or two. It takes him less than four seconds to catalog all of it before he’s looking her in the eye.

“Rookie,” he greets coolly, nodding his head in her direction. Naomi rolls her eyes at the moniker.

“When are you going to stop calling me that?”

“It’s your intern year, Valentine. I’m simply stating a fact.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here for New Years Eve. You’d think Ethan Ramsey would have other plans in mind.”

“I’m not here celebrating New Years Eve,” Ethan argues. “I don’t particularly enjoy holidays that promote binge drinking and reckless behavior. It just means more work for us tomorrow, or we get paged in. I’m here because I live on the other side of town, and traffic is an absolute nightmare. I figured I might as well wait it out for the next few hours.”

“Drinking holidays are the most fun though!” Is what Naomi replies with. A snort passes through Ethan. That’s what she decided to fixate on, out of everything he said?

“Also, what did you envision me doing on a night like tonight?” Ethan asks, his curiosity slightly piqued.

Naomi makes a dramatic show of staring at him, tapping her chin for added effect. “I don’t know, doing something fancy and miles away from us plebeians.”

“That’s very rich coming from you of all people.”

“I’m saying it because I know the type. I can’t tell you how many New Year’s parties and fundraisers my parents went to in order to network, politic and posture.” Naomi laughs. “You, in a nice Tom Ford tux, rubbing elbows with all of New England’s finest.”

Ethan leans forward, slightly amused. “We’ve known each other for a few months now. I think you know I’m pretty anti-socializing, especially with stuffy rich people.”

“You are a stuffy rich person.”

“Touché.”

“You don’t have any friends you want to spend the night with? Maybe even a special someone?” Ethan raises an eyebrow at her, and Naomi feels her face heat up. “I am so sorry, that’s none of my business.”

“You’re right, but I’ll let it go.” Ethan lifts his tumbler to his mouth and takes a long sip. “No, I don’t. I’ve always been a lone wolf, never one for a lot of friends, and it was just me and my dad growing up. He worked long hours, so it wasn’t like he was eager to stay up until midnight, nor would I ever expect him to. And no, I am single, so there’s no one special.”

“Oh..” Naomi frowns. Her ridiculous, overly empathetic bleeding heart squeezes at the idea of Ethan being alone. “No one should have to ring in the New Year alone.”

“Rookie, I’m fine,” Ethan assures her. He’s the one with the sad backstory, but the sad look on Naomi’s face makes him uncomfortable. Someone like her should never look sad, especially for someone like him. His fingers itch, anxious to touch her, soothe her.

“You can come hang out with me and my friends,” Naomi offers, pointing to the booth her friends are occupying. “I can’t promise Landry and Sienna won’t be a little starstruck and awkward.”

“I’m good, but thank you.”

“Not that my words mean much, but this time next year, if you want it, I hope you aren’t alone. I hope you’re surrounded by genuine people who care for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Fifteen seconds until the New Year!” Reggie announces loudly, dimming the lights. “If you want to make it count, find that special someone to plant a kiss on!”

There’s a lot of shuffling and the volume on the television goes up so everyone can hear the countdown. Ethan turns his attention to the tv, watching as Anderson Cooper starts counting down.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one–”

In a flash, Ethan feels a pair of soft lips press against his cheek. Naomi’s jasmine perfume, the scent that constantly plagues him as he walks through the halls of Edenbrook, fills his nose. He feels like a teenager again, his pulse picking up.

As quickly as she kisses him, she’s pulling away. So quick, a part of him feels like he just imagined it. “Happy New Year, Dr. Ramsey!”

Ethan doesn’t even get the chance to respond before Naomi is gone, disappearing into the crowd of people and back at the table with her friends.

“Happy New Year, Rookie.”

~v~

Now:

“Daddy, wake up!”

A clammy little hand poking and prodding at his eyelid is more than enough to get Ethan’s attention.  His eyes open and he sees his daughter Danielle leaning over him.

“Daddy’s sleeping, mommy!”

From the other side of the living room, Ethan hears his wife tsk teasingly. “Daddy is an old man, baby girl. He needs his sleep.”

“Daddy’s not old!” Valentina argues. She shuffles over to Ethan and wraps a protective arm around him.

Ethan laughs at the 6 year old’s staunch defense of him, and kisses the top of her head as best as he can. Like her brother and sister, she’s wearing a headband that says “Happy New Year” in big gold letters. “Thank you, Teeny. I’m not old. And I wasn’t sleeping, I was resting my eyes.”

Now that Valentina is older and understands the concept of New Years Eve more clearly, the idea of getting to stay up until midnight and watching fireworks on tv was too enticing to pass up. Ethan and Naomi thought it would be something fun, allowing the child to create a core memory and feel more mature than her actual age. What they did not anticipate was the twins and their insistence on doing the same thing their older sister was doing. The two two-year olds are running on pure adrenaline, sugar, and the competitive desire to not be outdone.

“Surely the great and powerful Ethan Ramsey can come up with something a little bit more creative than that,” Naomi goads. She walks over to where Ethan and their children are currently sprawled out, cups of apple cider in her hands. After she distributes them to the children, she plops down onto the couch, scooping Danielle and Nicholas into her arms. “We think you were sleeping.”

“Trust me, I cannot fall asleep with three rambunctious rugrats in my ear.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, that’s what they all say.”

The banter is cut off by Danielle wiggling out of her mother’s arms and crawling to Ethan, ignoring his grunts of discomfort at having a toddler’s foot lodged into his side. “Yelly, I’m not your personal jungle gym. You have to be careful.”

She ignores him, leaning down and planting a kiss on his nose. “Mwah! New year!”

“You can’t butter me up with kisses, little lady.” She gives him another kiss, this time on his forehead and Ethan laughs. “Okay, you can butter me up just a little bit.”

“New Year!” Danielle repeats. “New Year!”

“Happy Happy!” Nicholas adds with a laugh.

“It’s Happy New Year,” Valentina clarifies. She sighs, the weight of being the big sister fully on her shoulders.

The kids delve into their own mini debate, on the correct pronunciation of the holiday, complete with Danielle climbing over Ethan again to get to her siblings. Once they’re all together on the floor, Naomi slots herself into Ethan’s side and he drapes an arm across her waist.

This is a far cry from the way the holiday used to be celebrated by him—if one could even call it that.

“Penny for your thoughts, Mister Ramsey?” Naomi asks, burying her face in the crook of Ethan’s neck.

“Just thinking. I used to end the year alone, working through the hall drop, going to bed before midnight, or having a drink in solitude. Now I have this. If you would’ve told me 10 years ago that I would be married to the bubbly intern, and we’d have 3 kids who are currently fighting over a noisemaker as we wait for midnight to strike, I would’ve had you placed on a hold.”

“Life comes at you fast, doesn’t it?”

“Too fast.”

“I remember my intern year, when I gave you a kiss on New Years, and I wished that you wouldn’t be alone at the same time next year.”

“And I wasn’t. I had you.” He feels Naomi smile at his words.

“I’m glad that worked out for me, because I had a ridiculous crush on you and would’ve never acted on it at that time.”

“I am entirely too grown to admit to having a crush, but I was so attracted to you then I couldn’t think straight.”

“You had a crush on me,” Naomi says in a singsong voice. “You had a–”

Valentina’s excited squeal cuts off the rest of Naomi’s sentence. “Mommy, daddy, look!”

Naomi and Ethan look at the television, and they see the countdown has now 30 seconds to go. They untangle themselves and sit up.

“Okay my little chickadees, we have to get ready. And when they get to 1, we have to shout out ‘Happy New Year,’”

The kids settle onto the couch with their parents, eyes never leaving the screen, as time ticks on.

“Five, four, three, two, one–”

“Happy New Year!”

“New Year!”

“Happy Year!”

Ethan can’t help the laugh that escapes him as Valentina groans at the way the twins mess up the saying. Of course his child would be so serious about such a matter. Of course.

Naomi grabs face, and presses her lips against his, the kiss fierce but unfortunately over all too soon for his liking. “Happy New Year, handsome.”

“Happy New Year, beautiful.”

“What do you say, next year we ask your dad to watch the kids?” Naomi suggests. “We can spend the evening alone at the condo in the city.”

It’s a very tempting offer, one that he’s sure he’s going to concede to. But then Nicholas launches himself into Ethan’s and Naomi’s arms at full speed and wraps them in a hug. “Happy Year!”

Ethan kisses the crown of his son’s head before turning to Naomi. “You know what? I’d rather just stay home. For as long as I’m able to, you 4 are who I want to ring in the year with.”

“Okay. One more suggestion though.”

“Shoot.”

“How about we put the kids to bed, go downstairs and open up a bottle of champagne, and have a private celebration of our own?”

A wide grin takes over Ethan’s face. “You’re full of great ideas, Missus Ramsey.”

~v~

🎉🎉🎉🎉

Tessa’s black work shoes squeaked against the vinyl flooring of the hospital as she made her way to the lockers, the last shift of the year. The way it was going she couldn’t wait to countdown to bid it farewell. 

December 31st felt like Murphy’s Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

All she hoped for was for it to happen to her and not any of her patients.

Her shift had started a good forty-five minutes ago, she had never been late but today she had turned off the loud beeping of her alarm instead of hitting snooze and fallen back to sleep. Tessa woke up with her heart pounding against her chest, frantically getting ready, she hit her shin on the corner post of her bed and on her way out her elbow met the doorframe of her bedroom.

While riding the T, it began to rain and not just a light drizzle but a heavy pouring rain that was bound to soak her to the bone. She cursed under her breath at forgetting her umbrella when she hurried out the door.

Mentally preparing herself on how to make it to the hospital without getting drenched, the distance was manageable she thought. Popping the collar to her coat, her bag over her head, she made her way to Edenbrook. 

Tessa had misjudged the depth of a puddle she thought was shallow and instead of avoiding it and going around, she stepped into it and it turned out to be ankle deep, getting her foot soaked and losing her balance making her fall right on her backside. Tessa stood, her bag dripping water, barely keeping her hair dry; with a wet foot and bottom, she swore at her luck before chugging along. 

Grateful to find the locker room empty she changed into the spare scrub bottoms from the clothes she kept in her locker. The fabric of her pants wouldn’t last dry for long before her wet underwear soaked through and going panty free would not be the best idea with how the day was going. Tessa tried her best to dry her shoe, to avoid the squeak of a wet shoe that would announce her presence before she walked into a room.

“What the hell happened to you?” Bryce called behind her. “I’ve been looking for you and your not answering your phone.”

She hadn’t heard the door open or him walk in. Tessa dropped her head prepared for the onslaught of jokes poking fun at her when she would tell him. She tried to fake a smile as she turned around to face her friend.

“Oh you know everything possible under the gloomy Boston sky.”

“It can’t be worse than missing the celebrations with me tonight.” Bryce winked at her.

Tessa highly doubted that. She had the feeling it was only the beginning to one of the busiest nights of the year. 

*****

Ethan walked into the lounge, spotting Tessa and her group of friends. They all looked up at him and instantly lowered their conversation to a hush he had a hard time following. Not that it was something he did but everyone was surrounding Tessa, something was surely afoot. The closer he got, the chat became almost non-existent.

“Do you not have rounds to make or are your patients in the way of your party planning?” He snapped at the group. Of all of them, Ethan knew Tessa was working with him tonight, they would be ringing in the new year at the hospital.

He noticed something was off when he was talking to her earlier, catching her up on the cases they were working on. She had been late, something he needed to speak to her about, no matter his feelings towards her, Ethan wouldn’t show any favoritism. Not that he would, he knew what she was capable of, so he pushed her to be better.

Tessa on the other hand had been avoiding him as much as possible after giving said updates, he  saw her turn around when she would see him, as he would watch her leave Ethan had found the source of the squeaking he heard.

“Yes, right away Dr. Ramsey.” Dr. Trinh said, interrupting his thoughts. The group quietly began to make their way out. “I’ll be back to bring you a change in shoes and the rest of what you need Tess.”

“I would pay good money to see you do all of that superstition crap Tess.” Dr. Varma laughed. “But you gonna be here with you know who and sorry to say but I think that is where your luck to a turn.”

Ethan locked eyes with Tessa, her brown eyes not meeting the small smile that she gave him. Raising an eyebrow, he wondered what was the rest of what she needed. He did a quick up and down of her, not spotting anything off. His head snapped towards Lahela when he heard him say something about red underwear.

Ethan was intrigued to know what that was about and why he was telling Tessa to put on red underwear. He turned away from them as he went to get some coffee while he waited for the results of a CT scan. Ethan heard the door open and seconds later shut behind him, he was alone or so he thought until he heard a delicate sound of a throat clearing.

“I’m sorry about that Dr. Ramsey. It was my fault they were in here. It’s just—.” Tessa let out with a sigh. “You know what never mind it's nothing.”

Ethan grunted at the formality that settled between them when they were alone, he wasn’t just Ethan to her at the moment, he only had himself to blame. He should let it slide they were in the workplace after all but there was a little ache when she was being formal with him.

“When you’re done with your rounds and changing into—.” He waved his hand towards the door where her friends exited. “whatever you were discussing, come to my office. We need to discuss you being late.”

“Of course.” She groaned, walking out and leaving him standing there without saying another word. 

****

Tessa could hear the countdown from the nurses station, she had wedged the door to keep it slightly open. 

The look on everyones face as they counted down the end of the year and welcomed the new one was one of her favorite moments during the holidays. Excitement and hope for what the new year would bring, lit up the faces of those gathered around. 

And she was missing it.

Tessa: zero Bad Luck: she lost count.

Popping another grape into her month, she was trying everything to turn one day of bad luck into a whole year of good luck.

“Tessa?” Ethan called through the opening before pushing it wider and entering the lounge. 

She watched as his shoes get closer and closer to where she was. “Yeah?” Tessa called out before grabbing another chilled grape, Sienna brought her.

Ethan could see her legs poking out from under a table, of all the tables she picked, she was under the one decorated with gold and black balloons and a New Years sign to match the color scheme, the one table everyone came to get the sweets and sparkling cider that was offered. 

Hiking his pant leg before squatting down and peering under the table seeing Tessa holding a bag of grapes in her hand while chewing what he assumed was one of those grapes. “What are you doing down here? It’s a few minutes past midnight, you weren’t at the nurses station—.”

“You came looking for me?” Tessa asked once she swallowed and winced to the somewhat sour grape.

He nodded. Tessa thought she saw a smile come across his handsome features but her mind surely was playing a trick on her because it vanished before she could confirm it was real.

“One of the nurses mentioned you were missing during the countdown and when I looked around you weren’t there. Got lucky the first place I looked finding you and under a table no less.” 

“Glad that, at least one of us has luck.” She stared at him before continuing “How much worse can it get for me under a table.” Tessa told him.

Ethan searched her soft features trying to understand what she was talking about. What he did surprised even him, he crawled under the table and sat next to her. The side of his body brushing against hers, a thrill course through him. Reminding him of when they first kissed and then again when she joined him at the opera. And every moment in between.

“What happened? You ok?” He asked. “Why are we under a table?”

“Murphy’s law.” Tessa popped another grape into her mouth. Probably doing this superstition-folklore completely wrong she wasn’t shoving the grapes as fast as she could to bring in all that she hoped for in the new year, as she seen her family do in the past. “Grape?”

Ethan shakes his head. “Your hiding?” He asks while going for a grape after all.

“Uh..um— Not really.” Tessa began to say. Trying to wrap her head around how she was going to explain to Ethan, why she had grapes, why she was sitting under a table and why she was wearing red panties and in a few minutes why she looking for a suitcase to run down the block. “Trying new things to bring a change.”

The last part would be the hardest to accomplish.

“Eating grapes at midnight brings in luck and prosperity for the new year, twelve to be exact, one for each of the twelve months.”

“You still got about six to go.” Ethan tipped the bag with this finger. 

“Aah—yeah, one less with the one you got and I’m probably doing it all wrong. Being under the table is suppose to bring luck in love, which for you doesn’t count because you crawled down here after midnight, at least I think that’s how it works, and the red pant—.” Tessa caught herself before she let the last part slip out.

Ethan turns his head to Tessa, her face looking a bit flushed, pressing her lips together. “Red what?”

She waves her hand dismissing the last bit. “It’s nothing. I just thought with the day I had what’s the worse that could happen giving into New Years superstitions. You know trying anything to get rid of the bad luck I’ve come across on the last day of the year.”

Ethan stays silent for a moment, trying to process what she was saying and doing. “Luck and prosperity, I’ll try and understand but love?” He frowns. “Why would you think you need help in that?”

Tessa rolled her eyes at him. “It’s ridiculous I know. Come on Ethan, you can’t be that aloof in the whole relationship thing, your hot and cold with how you feels towards me.”

“What people believe in, whether I do or not is not something—.” He begin, ignoring her comment of where they stood with each other.

“You point out? Between the two of us, we know that is not true.” She smiled. “Almost a smooth deflection on where we stand. We’ll come back to that. It started out with me running late today and everything just went down hill from there.”  Tessa said before she began to recount her bad luck of a day to him.

“We still need to have that discussion.”

Tessa nodded before continuing down the list of everything that happened from falling to the vomiting to the PITA and everything in between. She turned to Ethan as he listened, his blue eyes softening at the corners as he looked at her. The seriousness that was Ethan Ramsey was nowhere between them as they sat under the table. 

He crawled under a table to see if she was ok. He came looking for her because she wasn’t around at midnight. He was listening to her talk about superstitions she was trying. The Ethan, Tessa saw now and when they were alone in Miami, at the opera, the rare moments he let his guard down around her was the man she has come to fall for was right here, next to her.

So maybe just maybe things were already looking up.

Ethan reached across his body and cupped her cheek. “There’s something you forgot.”

“What?” Tessa questioned. 

Her eyes locking with his as he leaned in, her eyes closed as the space between them got smaller. Tessa let out a small sigh before the softness of Ethan’s lips pressed against hers. With her eyes still closed, she felt him pull back for a brief moment before giving her a light peck and whispering against her lips. 

“Happy New Year Tess.” 

Things were definitely looking up. 

"You know, just trying to get some holiday cheer in here. It gets terribly lonely sometimes," Naveen smiled but Ethan could see the sadness behind his brown orbs.

Ethan looked around the rather small hospital room. 'Holiday Cheer' in forms of red, green and golden had taken over quite well.

"Wow, did you do all this by yourself?"

"Well, I have had some help."

Ethan then looked down at the green bunch in his hand as realisation dawned upon him.

"Mistletoe? Really Naveen?" he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You very well know me and Dr. Bose are the only people who come through these doors."

"Hey don't shout at an old-sick man trying to decorate for Christmas. And also, I have seen the way you look at her. Why beat…" Naveen doubled down coughing, cutting off his own words.

Ethan catches hold of him helping him onto the bed, bringing the oxygen mask near his face.

"Oh my God!" Meera exclaimed. "How did this happen? We were just decorating for Christmas sometime back!"

"I think we are past the point of hows and whys," Ethan's voice stern and cold. "Please prepare a shot of Nitroglycerine and I need a full workup to know what went wrong."

"Yes, doctor," Meera said timidly before scurrying off to get to work.

Both the doctors worked in sync putting all they had in them to get their patient to stabilize. While reaching for the needles Meera's foot collided with something. She looked down to see the mistletoe, forgotten and abandoned on the floor. Confused and slightly hopeful she looked upto her mentor, only to find him barking another order at her. She gulped down her emotions, shoving the mistletoe under the bed, into the darkness where it belongs.

Second Year

The sound of an ongoing party welcomed Ethan as he parked his car opposite the brownstone building. He turned off the ignition and got out, looking around to make sure his presence remained as discreet as possible.

He shot a silent text, waiting on the doorstep.

"Hi!" his favourite voice in the entire world greeted him.

He looked up to see Meera, clad in a red and green holiday pajama. It astonished him that she could wear the most ridiculous of outfits and even then she'll always remain the most beautiful woman he has ever laid his eyes on.

"Hey, you look …," he trailed off searching his brain for the perfect word, "... nice."

Meera chuckled, such a vast vocabulary and that's what he finds to compliment her.

"You know you are not supposed to be here right? My roommates are just upstairs."

"I know. But I just wanted to see you and…," he hands her a wrapped package.

"Oh my God! Is this a Christmas present from the great Ethan Ramsey?!" Meera teased.

"Okay, I regret it already."

"Don't worry babe, this is a step in the right direction," Meera assured.

"Oh! What a lovely couple!" Mrs. Burton, Meera's elderly neighbour exclaimed. "and look," she pointed upwards, "a mistletoe! Hope you kids can keep up with Christmas traditions."

The couple put on polite smiles as Mrs. Burton made her way up the stairs and moved out of earshot.

"So, what do you say Ramsey? You up for this?" Meera winked.

"Come here," Ethan leaned in close, cupping Meera's face in his hand, lips merely a breath away, when… "Meera! Are you done there? We are about to start the movie," the voice of her roomate along with heavy footsteps echoed around the stairwell.

"I'm sorry," Meera mouthed before breaking away from his embrace and closing the door shut. She heaved a sigh of relief before shouting, "yes I'm almost there."

"Who was it?"

"Just an Amazon package."

As the sounds of Meera and her roommate's conversation faded away, Ethan Ramsey couldn't help but smile to himself. He felt like a teenager all over again with this secret relationship. No, he felt younger, livelier when he was with Meera.

He looked back one last time before making his way back to his car when he noticed the mistletoe on the ground. Must've fallen down when Meera hurriedly shut the door he thought, picking it up and putting it inside his coat right over his heart where it belonged.

Third Year

"Are you almost done with it?' Sarah shouts at Marlene as she holds onto the stool Marlene is currently standing upon trying her best to stick the mistletoe onto the ceiling.

"Will you just be patient? This has to go perfectly!" Marlene says climbing down and standing back to admire her handiwork.

"Girl, you are way too invested in this."

"Duh! Did you even see their kiss at the hopeful hearts gala?! It was to die for! And since then there wasn't even an ounce of PDA between them, like how is that even possible? So excuse me if I try to recreate it with a little Christmas cheer." Marlene explained breathlessly.

"Geez!" Sarah retorted.

"Okay, Marc! Is everything going according to plan? Is the intel we collected earlier still true?"

"Absolutely!" another nurse joined the conversation. "As per our plan Dr. Bose is scheduled to pick up labs for patient 1973 in about seven minutes, whereas Dr. Ramsey will be done with his consult in room 6204 around the same time. Therefore according to my calculation they are supposed to cross path in about 4 minutes and 17 seconds right here," Marc looks up mischievously at the mistletoe.

"Amazing!" Marlene claps him in the back. "Okay everyone, I want all of you in your respective positions, cameras in hand. But pretend to be busy, this is Ramsey we are talking about if he smells even something in the slightest, this can take a disastrous turn."

The nurses make themselves busy, keeping an eye on the lookout for Edenbrook's most famous couple.

In about a little over three minutes Ethan Ramsey marches down the corridor, eyes glued to a patient chart. Meera Bose on the other hand is looking down at her phone making her way from the opposite direction. Their eyes lay on each other, exchanging a small smile they quicken their pace to reach each other faster. Until they walk right into the trap.

"Look at the holiday miracle!" Marlene exclaims, looking at the mistletoe, "I hope you both can bring in a little Christmas cheer, for us working on this glorious holiday." She bats her eyes.

"Absolutely not!" Ethan declares and Meera finds herself too surprised to talk.

"Come on Dr. Ramsey for the Christmas spirit!" one of the nurses shouted.

"Yes!"

"You have to!"

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

More and more nurses join in.

Ethan looks at Meera, half helpless and half confused.

"Okay! Everyone stop!" Ethan's voice changing to Dr. Terminator's. "What is wrong with you people? This is a hospital!"

"What he means to say is," Meera says. "We are happy to get into the Christmas spirit!"

The nurses start clapping, a ripple of excitement going among them.

"Seriously Meera?" Ethan rolls his eyes.

Meera reaches for his hands, "it's okay babe, it's just a kiss."

Shaking his head Ethan leans in determined to just place a quick peck and then admonish the nursing staff for inappropriate workplace behaviour. But when Meera met him halfway, he was in for a surprise. Meera went deep, cupping his face and pulling him close until she was out of breath. They break apart to the cheers of the nurses.

"Meera! What the hell?" he said in a whisper, face almost scarlet.

"We have to give people what they want," she winked.

Ethan cleared his throat when the cheers died down. "Well… that's enough holiday cheer for one day, now get back to work everyone." With that he turned on his heels and made his way out.

"You heard the man," Meera said. "Get back to work people!"

Perma : @starrystarrytrouble @quixoticdreamer16 @coffeeheartaddict2 @liaromancewriter @tessa-liam @gryffindordaughterofathena @crazy-loca-blog @zahrachoices @bex-la-get @potionsprefect @schnitzelbutterfingers @a-crepusculo @custaroonie @aishwarya26 @jamespotterthefirst

Ethan x Meera : @jerzwriter @wanderingamongthewildflowers @takemyopenheart @mvalentine

+ @openheartfanfics , @choicesficwriterscreations , @choicesjanuarychallenge

she was calculating how many years had she in her hands to live. of course when you let loose yourself straight three months what else can you expect? at least she had lost some weight. that was her purpose since the beginning of the new year.

how’s that tradition called? before the zeros are lined up you throw a pomegranate for luck. she snorted at the thought of it. not even the word luck matched with her.

she rejected everything.

everyone.

him.

or another one?

she tried again to remember what was the reason behind all of these actions towards them. one thing was for sure that echoed her ears- the word useless said by her late mother.

another night with the smoke filling the house as if there were planting weeds and people were laughing uncontrollably from nonsense. but she was only seeing men. handsome ones. pulling their clothes off and telling her to come.

then complete darkness.

she had to stop imagining by closing her eyes. but the invitation of these cruel intentions created by her brain were enticing and unbroken. the more she drank or smoked more hallucinations were spreading uncontrollably. and klaw was well aware that one day they’ll shut down forever. she tried to get up from the floor but her hands were shaking.

“c’mon,” she inhaled sharply. “not again.”

one more time she gave it a shot but it was unsuccessful. her body was getting even weaker as days went on and rage started to rise up.

why? she asked herself. what she was doing?

flashback after a flashback klaw could only process that she used every single person to fulfil her plans to become the number one in the diagnostics team. firstly by being the butterfly social girl, secondly by manipulating those boys who were in love with her and lastly by saving someone who was on the verge of death. it was a perfect combination with adding a tiny sparkle of flirt with her direct supervisor and then ditching him to the ethics committee.

it was just a game where she could finally fool people after all these years that she’d been in that place. so why not try while enjoying it at every bit? but there’s a quote that says “those who laugh now, will cry in the end”. and this couldn’t describe much better for her condition right now.

maybe she was too blind from the evil to understand that the people who were friends wouldn’t hurt her. still she thought it wasn’t her fault that was raised without love and affection and was told many times to not trust into them but only herself. then you can imagine the consequences afterwards.

what was another thing that she hasn’t tried yet?

her eyes fell to tiny objects up to the drawer on her right side. she crooked her eyes as somehow to remember why those were in the white colour. klaw sighed while thinking that even her brain was draining too.

“c’mon,” she huffed while scratching her head. “not again.”

were they candles? she didn’t like their scent.

were they toys? she wasn’t a kid.

but as the lamp shone everything clicked.

she elicited a laugh and said (god knows how many times) the same words again. “there you are! just in time!”

luckily the drawer wasn’t far away from her reach so she wouldn’t get up. in her hands she had many pills and in front of her legs the last whiskey bottle unopened. she had been thinking it every single day after the trial day but never had the heart to do it before.

“some things are worth any risk.” she repeated his words with a whisper.

if only klaw knew how much she meant to him and how he fell in love with her- maybe she wouldn’t let herself fall in the circles of hell.

——————————————————-

It was supposed to be a quick turnaround trip.  The plan was to fly to Cleveland with Baz, consult on a case, and return home as quickly as possible.  But nothing had gone according to plan.  A diverted flight, lab work delays, and a challenging diagnosis kept him in Ohio three days longer than originally anticipated.

2:00 P.M.

8:30 P.M.

“You were right, Ethan,” Baz announced as he returned to the conference room with updated lab results.  “It’s POEMS syndrome.”

A couple hours later, Ethan and Baz had drafted a detailed treatment plan to present to the patient's physician of record.  

“Baz, we’ve been in Ohio much longer than I anticipated.  I need to get back to Boston.  Do you think you can wrap up this consultation on your own?  There’s a flight back to Boston leaving at 5am that I’d like to catch.”

“I got this, Boss.”

“Thank you.”

1:00 A.M.

After booking the flight and packing his things, Ethan laid on the hotel bed intending to catch a nap before his ride to the airport arrived.  Eyes closed but far from sleep, his phone buzzed and vibrated on the nightstand, Sawyer’s name flashing on the screen.  

“Rookie?”

He sat up and turned on the lamp when he heard his whimpered name, “E-Ethan.”

“Hey,” he said delicately, “what’s wrong?”  

His heart started to beat faster and harder, mind suddenly racing with all of the possible reasons for the broken voice on the other end of the line.  

Trying to stop herself from crying, Sawyer snuffled, “I just needed to hear your voice. Will you talk with me for a little bit?”

“I’m here,” he assured her, “whatever you need.”

With that specific request he understood the cause of her distress. Though not as frequent several weeks later, Sawyer continued to have nightmares about the poison attack.  This one likely the result of whatever triggered her anxiety earlier in the day.  

“Was it another nightmare?”

“Yeah, it was a bad one,” her voice was still shaking.  

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really.  Is that okay?”

“Of course.” 

“I’m sorry for waking you up.”

“No need to be sorry.  I wasn’t asleep.  I was actually lying awake thinking of you.”

“You were?  What were you thinking about?”

One night after a particularly upsetting dream, Ethan brought comfort by revealing one of the moments when he started to realize he had feelings for her.  Since then, whenever they were together and Sawyer woke up from a bad dream, he soothed her back to sleep with another endearing memory. 

“Do you remember the leather wrist band you bought for me at the farmer’s market last year?” he recalled.

“You mean the friendship bracelet I gave you? Because you were being stubborn and wouldn’t admit that we were friends?” she wise-offed.  

“Can you hear my eyes rolling?” he came back with, earning a light chuckle from the other end of the line. “Yes, that’s the one.”

His voice now gentle, “I don’t remember if I ever told you, but I took it with me when I left for the Amazon.  You know that I convinced myself that it would be best for us to try and move on…but that didn’t mean I was ready to let you go right away.  With a foot already out the door, I realized that I needed to take a piece of you with me, so I went back for it.  I figured I’d wear it until enough time passed that I didn’t need to anymore.  I was so busy and distracted when I was working that I sometimes fooled myself into thinking I was finally getting over you, but at night when I was alone with my thoughts…” he exhaled softly, “well, they always drifted to you and I’d wake up missing you even more.”

Sawyer sniffed back sentimental tears as he continued, “The day that I didn’t need it anymore never came.  I wore that leather band every day until I came home.”  

“Thank you for telling me that,” she whispered.  “Want to know something?”

“What’s that?”

“When you first told me about the W.H.O. mission, I started following their Pictagram account.  After you had been gone for a few weeks, they posted a picture of you and you were wearing the bracelet.  And the night you came back, when we were talking in the beer garden, I saw it around your wrist. Just under the sleeve of your jacket,” she explained.  “It’s the reason I kissed you that night.  You’d never wear something like that unless it meant something important to you.”

“I see you’ve mastered the art of observation,” he joked before getting serious again.  “And it did.  It still does.” 

Sawyer’s phone vibrated in her hand as a notification alerted her to a new text message.

“Ethannnnn, you’re wearing it now?” touched by the gesture.

“This time it was the first thing I grabbed when packing for this trip. I wanted a piece of you with me while I was away.”

“I love…” she caught herself.  It’s not that she didn’t want to say it, she just didn’t want to pressure Ethan to say it back if he wasn’t ready.  “I love that.  It’s so sweet.”

“And far less creepy than pocketing a pair of your panties,” trying and successfully making her laugh.

“Well, I should probably confess that I’ve raided your closet and will be spooning your pillow so I can feel close to you too.” 

He laughed heartily at the mental image.  “Are you feeling better?”

“Much.”

“I’m glad.  Go have a cup of tea and try to get back to sleep,” he encouraged.

“Any chance I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked hopefully.

“We’ll see, but I think the odds are looking good,” he replied knowing full well he’d be boarding a plane on his way home to her in just a couple hours.  

“Well, fingers crossed.  And Ethan?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” she said most sincerely.

“Only good dreams now, okay?  Goodnight, Rookie.”

“Bye, babe.”

9:00 A.M.

Ethan entered the still apartment, leaving his coat and suitcase in the entryway.  Seeing no sign of life yet, he quietly made his way to the master bedroom.  Head just barely poking out from under the comforter, he found her just as she said, spooning his king size pillow.  

He carefully toed off his shoes and parted with his shirt and pants.  He removed his watch, placing it on the top of the dresser, but left his other accessory on.

Lifting the comforter, Ethan climbed into bed scooting up against her backside and wrapped his arm tightly around her.  Though jarring her from sleep, the familiar touch and scent instantly quieted her alarm.  

“Surprise,” he breathed into her ear before kissing her cheek and trailing down her neck.

With a raspy morning voice she uttered “Hiiiii” while her hands hugged his arm, the feel of braided leather under one of her palms.  

“Did you have better dreams after we talked?” he mumbled against the skin of her exposed shoulder.

Rolling over, she nudged him flat onto his back and slowly straddled his hips.  

“Mhmmm, the best.  And it looks like they’re about to become reality,” she smirked before leaning down and kissing him deeply.  

Olivia's gaze shifted toward the girl's room. Elisa sat in the hospital bed, holding her younger brother in her arms, both wearing antlers as their eyes lit up with the possibilities of the season of what awaited them if she were allowed to go home. "Me too. It's about time for a Christmas miracle."

"I'll send you the results as soon as I have them."

"Thank you."

Olivia grabbed the next chart on her roster, looking over her patient's most recent lab results. 

"How's my favorite pediatrician?" Bryce pressed a kiss to her cheek as he leaned back against the nurses' station, concealing something beside him. 

Her smile grew despite trying to remain focused on the file.

"I come bearing gifts," he teased, trying to get her attention.

"What are these gifts?"

"I made you some hot chocolate." He slid a cardboard cup down the counter to her. "And, I have a very special file for you." His brow rose as a smirk drew across his face. "Take a look."

Olivia's head tilted as she studied his gaze. She took a sip of her cocoa and hummed her approval. Bryce could make even hospital hot chocolate taste delicious. "Okay, let's see this special file." She held out her hand, accepting the thin folder, opening it curiously.

Her eager anticipation fell quickly. She dropped the folder on the counter. "It's blank."

"Underneath." He gestured toward the file.

Olivia sighed and elaborately flipped the page. Her fingers pressed against her lip, hiding her growing smile. She gazed down at the hand-drawn note that read, "All I want for Christmas is you!" complete with hearts and stick figure pairs kissing, dancing, and holding hands surrounding the large message. 

"So?"

Olivia composed herself. "It's very sweet, but—" she took a pen from her coat. "You made a mistake."  

"What?" Bryce pulled the file back, examining it, worry filling his face. "I don't see it."

"Allow me!" She pressed the top of the pen with a satisfying click and turned the page back toward her. She scribbled over the words "for Christmas", crossing them out. "There! I think it's more accurate now."

His arms wrapped around her as he read the updated message "All I want is you".  

Her face warmed, knowing others were now watching. "Well?"

He brushed a kiss on her temple. "I couldn't agree more." 

"I think this is the best Christmas present." She held it up, admiring his work. "Do you think we should get it framed?"

"Most definitely!" He held her tighter. "I worked very hard on those stick figures. I thought it'd look nice in your office."

"Alongside the art from the children?" She questioned with reservation.

"You don't like it?" His dark eyes widened into a pout.

"You're a dork." 

"No one has ever accused me of that before," he feigned disbelief.

"But, you're my dork," she clarified, running her fingers softly through his hair.

"I think I could be okay with that."

"Good. Because I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon." 

"So, about that spot on the wall..."

"I'll consider it... if you're a good boy!"

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this silly drabble. These two are such adorable idiots in love.

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"I have no idea what you're talking about." She smirked. She was used to it by now. Doctors at medical conferences. Waitresses at dinner. A PR manager at the symphony. The valet. Part of dating the Ethan Freakin' Ramsey was watching him get attention wherever he went. It wasn't just the sparkling blue eyes and crooked smile he saved for her, or the fact he was famous, it was the sheer space he took up. Tall. Imposing. A presence. And the best part, the true delight, was that he really didn't notice. 

Didn't care to, wasn't interested. It wasn't just naivety. Now that he had her, Eve felt an ever-present comfort encompass her.

He wanted her. Everyone else was background noise. "You didn't see that woman slip you her number at Donahue's last night?" she challenged, amusement rippling through her voice. It was his turn to smirk wickedly. "Like I said, I have no idea what you're talking about." He leaned in closer, his breath a hot whisper at the shell of her ear as he continued. "I do remember the barista though. The man at the baseball match. The patient with the cast. Lahela's friend who keeps appearing wherever you are." Eve flushed, biting the seam of her lip as he reeled off all the men who'd hit on her that week.