Author Note: Thank you for the response to the other couple of fics I have about these two! This takes place before everyone left but at Christmas so made up timeline fun. This will be a two part story.

It was a week before Christmas on Keller, Serena was on the other side of the nurses' station talking with Malick, Digby and Edward. Chantelle was rushing around the ward also but she there was no concern over her festive spirit as she was permanently merry to the public.

Ric sauntered across to them - Serena was convinced he had started to put it on more than before she had mentioned it previously. Standing next to her with a medical file in his hands ready to discuss it with her they were interrupted by the others nearby trying miserably to stifle giggles.

"What are you all laughing at?" The others glanced to the roof above them. Hanging directly between them just above their heads from a piece of red ribbon was a single stalk of mistletoe.

"You must be kidding!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest as she unconsciously took a step backwards.

"You were the one who wanted us to embrace the season." The glare Malick received from both consultants was colder than anything outside. What he had said was true enough as Serena had felt the patients were not quite as cheery as she wanted them to be because she believed a happier patient would heal quicker ultimately increasing productivity.

Edward chose that moment to voice his opinion on the matter, "It is tradition. Mary-Claire agreed when we got caught under it earlier."

"No! It is a piece of dead leaf matter which means nothing to me. And what you get up to in your attempt to find child bride number two does not interest me." Serena muttered angrily at her ex-husband. She hated hearing what he thought about her personal life especially when it involved Ric Griffin because Edward still believed there was more to their friendship than just being a plus one to dinners. To be honest this situation was causing her to be seriously confused as she and Ric switched too easily between playful flirting and anger that she was scared to continue down this path in case it ended badly.

While they ignored the protests from the other men, Mo Effanga appeared from Darwin to authorise a referral in person after checking the patient's condition, "Are Sic having an argument?" She asked without thinking.

"They refuse to uphold mistletoe tradition."

Ric opened his mouth, ready to state it was not her concern but Serena beat him to speech, "Because it is ridic- wait, what did you call us?!"

"It's one of your mash-up names; Serena and Ric equals Sic - the fact you are both doctors makes it even better." She trailed off near the end of the explanation as she noticed the looks that Ric and Serena both wore as they stared at her.

Serena could not muster a single word but they all felt her anger go up one notch higher, "What?" Her voice had not increased a single decibel but that made it even worse as they knew someone was in her bad books more than usual. Arthur had not said a word since the beginning of the scene and he tried to find a way to escape but Chantelle was doing perfectly well by herself that she would become suspicious if he tried to intervene on such simple tasks.

"Nothing Ms Campbell, Mr Griffin, see you later." Mo hastily rushed from the ward, planning to hide from the two consultants for as long as possible. When Serena turned back to the other men they were all trying to avoid her eyes as they concealed smirks.

Without saying another word she picked up her tablet computer and walked off, Ric following as he still had not spoken to her regarding the original matter he had went to her for. Understanding her point of view as he felt much the same he continued in silence, the staff had acted like small children but if she had been having a happier day he would put money on her agreeing to it, and admittedly he would not have complained for too long.

He was unsure whether she realised he was there until they took a few more paces and she began to rant as they neared their shared office, "I am going to fire them all... Or even better I could shift them all down to AAU and be left to run a perfectly quiet, empty ward by myself."

"So you would be transferring me too?" She did not answer, just smiled and continued on in silence as she entered the room. He caught the door before it closed since he still had to talk about the patient's obs and she would turn on him if he walked away when she was full-flow on her tirade.

"It was a bit of fun Serena."

"Oh, don't you start too! I mean, if we argue it would ruin their ideas of 'Sic'. Urgh, why on Earth did any one of them consider it appropriate to invent a name for two people who are in no way together, especially when we are their superiors? And she said it was one of the names which means they have all been consolidating their ideas on it and coming up with preferred ones."

There was a moment's pause as he stopped his eyes from rolling at how badly she was taking this, "I am not starting anything and I was on your side back there so I do not want to go to AAU, even in this hypothetical situation." Neither of them noticed that she was edging further away from him every time he took a step forward so they reached a point where they were standing on opposite sides of her desk.

"I forgot how crazy people get around this time and how many idiotic traditions there are. I mean, mistletoe, really?! Why can people not just choose who or when to kiss somebody?" She held out her hand to finally get back to work and took the folders from his hands, their fingers brushing gently which made them have to attempt ignorance from the butterflies that had suddenly appeared again in their stomachs.