Christmas in July! Also, I just updated Gone Baby Gone for anyone interested!
Benly... season 7?
Miranda Bailey finished the last of her Mohjito, slamming the glass down. "An' I told my father... I told him... I am a Doctor. I s-save pipple for a living... S-six ye- No, sev-eight! Years of school an' six years of residency... My hands, these hands, inside hundreds of patients, sewing them back together. Healing them. But nothing! He- he does not nunderstand what I do."
"Hmm," Derek hummed, sipping his scotch. "I'm sorry he doesn't know you Miranda. You're an extraordinary doctor-"
"-An' person," she jibbed.
"And person."
"I'll drink to that- Joe-"
"Ah, I think you've had enough, Bailey-" Joe said, taking her empty glass.
Enough? How could he possibly know her limit? She was not drunk!
"Listen-" she started, waving a finger at him-
"-I got it," Derek interrupted, laying down a few bills. "Come on Bailey, you forgot your purse."
"My purse?" she exclaimed, sliding off the stool to look.
"It's probably in the attendings lounge."
The attending's lounge? How could it be all the way there? "I am a
t-top notch surgeron, how did I forget my purse?"
"You were mad."
"Mad?" She didn't remember. She was in surgery... and then... Bailey blinked. How much did she drink already?
"Mm, and now you're overserved... let's get your purse. I'll drive you home."
"You..." She wanted to lecture him, but thought better of it. "Are not as brainless as I thought you were."
"I'll take that as a compliment." Derek ushered her out of Joe's to the hospital. He sighed and pressed the button. A moment later, the elevator dinged, and they stepped in. Derek leaned against the back rail, and looked up at the ceiling.
"Shepherd," Bailey said, following his gaze, "are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"Mistletoe," he replied.
"I'm not hallucinating?"
"Nope."
"But Christmas..."
"Was six months ago," he smirked.
"Wait- do we-? You and ?I- Are we- going to-" Bailey gestured between them.
"You are lovely, Miranda, but I'm happily married."
Spoken like a true heartbreaker. "Oh," she let out a sad sigh. "You have such nice hair..." she fought back tears. Lonely, she was so... lonely... and misunderstood.
Derek stepped in front of her, grasping her shoulders. He was only a friend, a good friend. But he understood her. How come no one else did? "I wouldn't worry about it," he said, as if he read her mind,
"There is someone out there for you Bailey, I know it." His features softened, and he kissed her on the forehead. The elevator stopped and the door opened. "Well, this is where I get off."
Off? But wasn't he supposed to come with- "Where you- but this isn't-" She started after him but was stopped.
By someone tall, and red...and fuzzy. "Santa?" she blinked. Okay, who put something in her Mohjito?
"Miranda Bailey," Santa boomed in a deep baritone.
"But it's July."
"Yes, it is. But I missed you last year," he said.
"You did?" Santa? Missed...her?
"I did. I almost put you on my naughty list." He stepped closer.
Bailey backed up, hitting the wall. "N-naughty list?"
"Almost... but then I thought... maybe you missed me too." He pressed the stop button, came closer, gazed into her, and she saw her own lonely lovely self in his brown framed irises.
Brown... "Santa? Ben..." she sighed.
"I love you, Miranda Bailey," he said, his voice like smooth liquid chocolate.
His chest pressed against hers, and her whole body trilled when he stroked her cheek with his thumb.
"I..." she gasped breathlessly, "love you too Benj-"
His lips caught the rest of her sentence, and the warm, deep caress of him in her swept her up. He gently pulled and tugged, sending her into tantalizing bliss. How had she forgotten this? Why had she given this up?
For it wasn't just the expression of his love to her... it was his unwavering belief in her... that made her realize her love for him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer, to tell him with her kiss. This kiss... that it wasn't really over for them. It never really was. It never could be.
Finally, their lungs couldn't take it anymore, and they pulled apart, panting. Ben took his Santa hat off and put it on her head with a smile. He pushed the button, and the elevator started again. Bailey couldn't take her eyes off him... for the moment she was rendered speechless. She toyed with the little white puffball dangling from her Santa hat.
"Your purse," Ben said finally, handing it to her.
"Wha-? Oh," she said, allowing it to slip to the crux of her elbow.
The elevator stopped and the door opened. "This is my stop," he said. "But... coffee tomorrow?"
"Coffee," she nodded, still dumbstruck.
He smiled that glowing white grin of his, and slowly stepped out of the elevator.
Replacing him came the sprite April Kepner clutching some charts. She pressed the button for the main floor, and the doors closed. Bailey's heart ached. She missed him already, Santa. "Kepner," she asked. "You believe in Santa?"
"Uh... No... I guess I don't."
"Mm, well you should. He is a mighty fine... fine kisser," she sighed. "Mm-hmm." Coffee. Tomorrow. And a kiss. The perfect Christmas.