A Christmas in the Future
December 2034

"Come on Bay! We have to catch our flight," Zola texts to her brother.

"Relax, Zo! I'm just getting off my plane. What gate do we leave from?" Bailey replies, picking up his backpack and standing in line. His flight had arrived from Hanover and he had a 90 minute layover in Boston.

"B12," Zola types back.

"checkmarkAt B20 CUS"

Once he steps out into the concourse he strides between gates. It isn't too far to walk but he knew his sister was panicking. She was definitely better to fly with than their mom, but she had to be early for everything.

"Hey sis," he says hugging the beautiful thin girl with her hair in many braids and wearing an oversized Harvard sweatshirt and leggings.

"Bailey!" Zola yells happily wrapping her arms around her younger but much taller brother. He had a good six inches on her and she was 5'8".

"You found someone to do your hair," he said, knowing she preferred to have it braided for school or work but didn't like doing it herself.

"It was easier this way for exams. Auntie Maggie still has some friends here. Yours is short," she replies as they sit down to wait for their flight to be called.

"Once again easier for baseball and exams."

"You're playing baseball? Thought that was a spring sport…"

"Running the freshman program. Getting them ready for the season, it starts on Valentine's day. This is my last year on the team," he says. He was only allowed to play on the team as an undergrad, so would be off the team as soon as he finished his biomedical engineering degree.

"Let me know when you are up my way for a game. I'll try to come. Are you staying there for Med School?"

"Hoping to get in. I've already had my interview and it went well," he says. His interview went well and he already had a research and development position for the summer at the hospital.

"How's second year of Med School?" he asks.

"Good. Tiring. Clinicals are boring," she says.

"Probably because we already have so much time in the hospital," he teases.

"Yup! Raised by surgeons… Wonder how Ellie is doing?"

"I saw her at Thanksgiving. We went to Auntie Lizzie's for dinner. You were with Auntie Maggie, right?" he says.

"Yes Maggie came to visit Winston's family. Can't believe mom actually went to Ireland for Thanksgiving."

"I'm just impressed she flew," he says thinking back to when they went to check out universities and how he'd only gone with her on one trip. She'd only taken him to Dartmouth, her alma mater.

"Flight 123 to Seattle is boarding now," they hear over the speaker.

"Guess it's our turn for a flight," Zola says.

"Then we are home til New Years," he replies as they walk onto the plane.


Bailey and Zola quickly grabbed their bags and quickly saw their mom standing waiting for them.

"Mom!" "Mom!" "Zola! Bailey!" as they greet one another with hugs.

"So glad you are home for Christmas. I've missed you," she says.

"I would have come home for Thanksgiving but I went to New York because you were in Europe," Bailey states.

"I know. My fault," she said.

"I was glad to hear you actually went. You didn't jump into an emergency like when you missed your first Catherine Fox Award ceremony," Zola teased.

"Yes I got on the plane. And I'll head to Dartmouth in June for someone's graduation and last baseball game," Meredith replies. They walk to the car and throw the stuff in.

"Are we headed home? Or the hospital?" Zola asks.

"Home, I'm off today."

"You? Off?" Bailey says.

"Hey! The head of Education and Innovation can take a day or two off."

"Are you sure?"

"Well I had no surgeries and thought I could spend the day with my kids. Arianna, Liam and Ellis get in tomorrow."

"Is Austin coming home?" Bailey asks.

"No, he's in his 5th year residency so he's working the extra shifts. He'll have dinner with his grandparents on Christmas Eve." Austin had moved into a suite at his grandparents house, Abigail's parents, when he started his residency at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He is in his 5th and final year and is currently applying for fellowships in pediatric oncology.

"How's Cormac with that?" Zola asks.

"He's glad that Liam can come home this year. It was worse when neither could make it home," Meredith answers.

"Soon it'll be me that wont be able to come home," Zola says.

"Unless you match to Grey-Sloan," Meredith answers.

"So true. I want to do my residency in Washington or Oregon so I can come home for Christmas," Bailey says.

"You still have to get into Med School. Have you heard anything?"

"I have the summer research position. The professor said if I don't get into med school I can keep working for him and start my thesis research for an Engineering Masters degree. But he thinks I'll get in to the joint program at Dartmouth. I really like their Doctor of Medicine and Masters in Science (Engineering) program. The professors I have for my engineering courses are great."

"Sounds like you are enjoying your last year," Meredith says.

"It's busy. Especially since baseball starts up when we get back."

"Are you sure you can do both?"

"Yes Mom! I have it worked out with my professors. I have already started my Winter term research project and we will have it done by the time baseball starts."

"Zola, you've been quiet. How's med school?"

"Can I say boring? Hard work?"

"Boring?"

"Well we spent so much time at the hospital. And Auntie Maggie had me doing surgery on the simulator when I started Kindergarten. Some of the courses are hard work. I wish Sophia wasn't at Hopkins."

"Would you two have worked hard? Or just partied?" Meredith asks, knowing the girls had a wild summer after pre-med.

"We both want to be top, so we would still work hard. But I wouldn't need to Skype my best friend."

"OK, I'll give you that. I still Skype with Auntie Cristina and Uncle Alex."

"Mom, what are today's plans?"

"We need to get the tree decorated."

"Is it up? Why haven't the twins done it?" Zola asks, knowing there had been some years where she'd arrived home and the decorations weren't out yet.

"Yes, and the lights are on it. They were busy with the school play."

"Did we miss the last performance?" Bailey asks.

"No, the last show is tomorrow. We have tickets for everyone."

"Cool. Can't wait to see them!"