"Hello. I'm calling about a consult."

"Oh-" He breathed. A consult? "You're not working today."

"No, I'm not." She replied.

"Oh." He breathed, confused. Perhaps they'd broken out the alcohol early. Really early, considering the time. "So...this consult-"

"Twenty-five-year-old female. Misses her boyfriend desperately on Christmas day, is sick of her friends pondering why she wouldn't bring him to such an event, especially when one friend is such a good cook and this cook would love to meet him. She's feeling fine, but wishes there was a boyfriend that she could happily kiss under the mistletoe."

"Ah. Right." He agreed, smiling. He got her and her crazy brain. "Yes, this is an interesting case."

"You have any cases going on too?"

"Well...Mmm, let me think." He replied. "I'm not working today either. But I do have a case. I've got a male, little older, who presents with a similar case. He's feeling happy and contented with his friends and family, but a little upset that he has no girlfriend to share the day with."

"Oh, wow. Quite similar then. Are we thinking environmental?" She asked.

"Mmm...maybe. Probably. Do we know if they have been in contact?"

"Yeah. Sexual contact for sure. I heard they basically live together. And apparently they can't keep their hands off of each other half the time when they're alone, so definitely lots of chance for transmission there."

"Ah. Hard cases then." He muttered.

"Yeah. Not sure we'll be able to solve it."

"Could be a gas leak. Could be poisoning...asbestos?" He pondered. "So many variables to consider when two people are in the same environment and have lots of change for transmission."

"Mmm, you're right. It was definitely a good idea to contact you."

"I think I have an idea of a treatment."

"Me too." Meredith replied. "But...there are too many side effects. I think we should have started before the holidays so the family could have time to adapt to this shift in quality of life."

Derek sighed. She was right; they should have told them a few weeks, or even a few days ago. He would love to turn up right now and surprise her, but he also didn't want to have to deal with the stares, Meredith to deal with the questions, or her friends to deal with the awkwardness of Christmas day. He couldn't ruin it like that, not when he could just wait and have all of those things on a plain old day. "Mmm. You make excellent points."

"Yes. I do. Even for an intern." She replied. "But it should be a temporary problem and the symptoms will be gone in just a few hours."

He smiled. "I told Santa to put quite a few of your gifts under my tree."

She giggled. "Really?"

"Oh, yes." He agreed with his own chuckle.

"Well, tell Santa I don't need gifts because I already have the best gift in the world in the form of the most supportive, amazing boyfriend ever, who goes along with all sorts of weird jokes."

"Really?" He asked.

"No. I want that scarf I put on my list." She replied shortly.

He chuckled. Of course. "Right. Nevermind then."

"I love you, you know?"

"Of course. And I love you too."

"I guess I-"

"Meredith Grey! Stop phoning your boyfriend and get in here! The Christmas Pudding is ready!" Izzie shouted out of the door.

He laughed through the phone at that; he couldn't help it.

"Coming, Iz-" Meredith shouted back before putting the phone back to her ear.

"Better get going huh?" Derek asked before she had a chance to speak.

"The quicker I eat, the quicker I can get to you." She replied. "I have enjoyed it, really, and I think this split Christmas was a great idea- but I'm really looking forward to seeing you."

"Me too. Now, you've got some pudding to eat."

"And then- there's this one-" Izzie said with a creased brow. "Oh, for you Meredith."

"What?"

"This big box is for you."

"From?" She pushed.

She smiled. "Apparently it's from Santa."

"Oh." She breathed. "Okay."

"Heavy-" Izzie muttered as she slid the box over. "Wonder what's in it."

"I have no idea." She answered truthfully as she ripped the wrapping paper before pulling the box open. "Oh-"

"Scrub caps?" George guessed. The packaging looked like it was about the right shape.

"Think so-" She paused as she pulled one out of the box. It was a beautiful shade of purple. Her favourite shade, in fact. She didn't think that was a coincidence. "Yeah. Scrub caps."

"Santa bought you scrub caps?"

"And-" She paused. "Schadt's Guide to Modern Neurosurgery."

"All 12?"

"Yeah-" She pulled out the first book to examine it, finding it odd that it didn't look new. That was until she turned the cover to examine one of the dents in the hardcover, and spotted something else. "Signed. Signed books- They're signed books-"

Izzie sat up at that, and pulled out the second volume. It was signed as well. "Have you looked at the prices of those? Signed by Schadt. He only signed 10 book sets. 10. Ever. And...and you have 1 whole set. Of all 12. Meredith- who the hell is Santa?"

She knew who Santa was. Who else was going to give her the whole collection, signed, and scrub caps in her favourite colour?

"I think it's Cristina's doing."

"You have Meredith that and me a bag of chocolate?" George asked immediately.

"Her boyfriend. He gave me the present. Told me to put it under the tree." Cristina clarified. "I'm not even into neuro, but I'd certainty not give away that whole book series, signed, unless I had my own copy."

"Where the hell did you get this man from, Meredith?" Izzie sighed.

Meredith couldn't reply to that. He bought her scrub caps of her favourite colour. He gave her one of the rarest neurosurgery book collections. She'd searched for just one once, and closed the site instantly at the price. "I have no idea where...or why. But- I'm so freaking glad I have him."

"You. Are. An. Idiot."

He faltered; he was expecting a happy greeting. "What?"

"How much did you spend on those books?"

"Oh. I got the books when they came out. They were like...fifty dollars."

"But they're signed." She replied. "Signed! By the author! Dr Schadt, Derek!"

He smiled. "I know Dr Schadt."

"You know him?"

"You actually own the secret eleventh signed copy." He explained. "He and Silva went to Mayo together."

"Silva being-"

"Head of neurosurgery before me. He was my mentor."

"Ah, right."

"Now, back to these books-" He said hopefully, not particularly wanting to talk about anything else on the topic.

"Oh, yeah. I guess my main question was going to be...don't you want them?"

He inhaled for a second. "'In a hundred years, neuroscientists and neurologists will look at us and laugh. We know nothing. We know are clueless. We have not even scratched the surface of this thing we call the brain. This blob. This jelly. This clump of cells which can make us speak, and talk, and walk...but also imagine and dream...and murder and lie. This is my love, my passion, and my dream. But in a hundred years, they will laugh because we know nothing, and we are clueless. But, for now, let's talk brains."

She smiled when he started and she recognised the line, and kept going throughout his whole paragraph before asking, "Did you just learn the first paragraph or can you keep going?"

He grinned back. "Well, the first chapter I can recite well, but I only know the key points for the other chapters and the rest of the books."

"Right. So, you're not being kind and sacrificing yourself, you've literally just read them so many times that you don't need them anymore."

"They are supposed to be a gift though."

"Can't you just...read it from memory to me?"

"There will be mistakes; I don't have a photographic memory."

She kissed him. "But I like hearing you say it from your own mind. I find it...amazing that you can do that. Mad, even. Freaking mad."

"Okay. I...can try-"

She grinned. "I love hearing you talk about brains."

"Because you love brains?"

"Because...I love you, and talking about brain makes you smile and makes you happy and I...I love it when you're happy. It's one of my favourite things in the world."

"Mer-"

"Yeah?" She hummed with little worry.

"Are you doing okay?" He asked softly, concern in his eyes.

"Why am I not okay?" She asked slowly with a creased brow.

"I think you do seem fine to most people, but I just-" He swallowed. "I feel like there's something there that...is making you not fine."

She smiled. "I'm getting double Christmas. I've already had one and it was good, and this second one has my super loving boyfriend so...it's going to be freaking amazing. Even better than the first, I imagine. So I'm great."

He swallowed. He couldn't tell whether that was the truth or not. "Okay- now, off to bed before Santa comes with the next round of presents, right?"

She grinned. "Of course."