I've finally decided to get this update up!

The moment she was officially discharged, Elphaba hurried back to her office to drop off her bags. Her papers were still scattered everywhere, and she expertly stepped over the files as she made her way to her desk. She plopped her bag on her chair and quickly changed into her scrubs and lab coat. Her hand was on the doorknob when she suddenly stopped. Closing her eyes, she took her hand off the knob and took a few calming deep breaths. She was just released. No use rushing to be readmitted.

"I see you all found the Lurlinemas schedule," Elphaba said as she approached her interns, staring at the bulletin board. "Just know that whoever's not working Lurlinemas will be working New Year's Eve."

Fiyero would be working New Year's Eve, which to him was much better than working Lurlinemas. Shem and Pfannee weren't as lucky.

"Alright, you all know what you have to do, so go do it. Meet me in my office after lunch."

Shem and Pfannee nodded, Fiyero saluted, and ShenShen was already running away to answer a page.

After seeing to her patients, Elphaba sat down to look over her interns' charts. They had improved immensely in documenting, all thanks to her constantly breathing down their necks. She realized she had to do that when Shem tried to give her a chart that said, 'Patient resting in bed', with nothing else. As soon as she read that, she almost physically jumped down his throat and dragged him to the patient's room. Luckily for the doctors, the patient was awake and alert, and on alert when he saw the doctors rush in.

Once she was assured that both of them would keep their jobs for the time being, Elphaba dragged Shem back into the hallway and laid down the law, giving a long talk about the importance of documenting things properly.

Once everything was in order, she headed down to the cafeteria for lunch. She quickly grabbed a sandwich, soup, and apple juice before sitting at her usual table. She had just sat down when Crope, Tibbett, and Sarima joined her.

"Ooh, chocolate!" Crope smiled, taking the box Tibbett was holding. He opened it and frowned. "These are all half-eaten."

"Now you can see what filling they have," Boq said, peering into the box.

Crope pushed the anesthesiologist away. "Anyway, what are everyone's Lurlinemas plans?"

"Packing and trying to set Milla up for success with Dr. Wamen as best I can," Sarima sighed, stabbing her salad with her fork. "Have you found my replacement yet, Elphaba?"

"Still working on it," Elphaba hummed.

"Because no one can fill the hole I'm about to leave in your heart?"

"Because most of the applications are in the trash right now. None of the people who applied meet the standards."

"I didn't realize she set the bar so high," Crope commented.

Sarima rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Elphaba, would it kill you to be a bit sentimental?"

Elphaba hummed and shrugged, taking a bite of her pasta. "Maybe not, but I don't have time to go to the cardiothoracic floor to get that hole in my heart patched up." She looked up at the dark-skinned doctor with a sincere smile. "But I'll miss you, Sarima."

"Hey, are you gonna take the couch that's in your office?" Tibbett asked, poking Sarima's shoulder.

Sarima pushed his hand away. "Why?"

"It provides better back support than mine."

"How would you know…" Her eyes widened, then narrowed, shifting between him and Crope. "You didn't. The two of you, on my couch?"

"Geez, Sarima. You deal with so many vaginas that your mind's all up in there."

"I'm finished lunch," Elphaba frowned, pushing her food away.

"No. I didn't. We didn't," Tibbett confirmed sincerely. "Just me, and just naps. It's much better than the on-call room."

"And when were you planning on asking my permission to nap in my office?" Sarima asked, slightly less mad.

"When were you planning on asking my permission to use my printer?"

The OBGYN opened her mouth, but no sound came out. "You're right. I'll give you that one. It's just that your printer prints in color. And I like color."

Boq opened his bag of chips and popped a few into his mouth. "As long as we're revealing secrets, I know where Glinda – Yow!"

The group looked over to see Glinda pinching the side of Boq's neck. The anesthesiologist's shoulders were scrunched up to his ears as he fell out of his seat. A few nearby medical professionals looked over when they heard the thud, but minded their own business when they saw Glinda.

"Glinda," Elphaba sighed.

"What?" the blonde blinked innocently. "He'll be fine. It's just a pressure point. But he won't be revealing secrets anytime soon. Right, Boq sweetie?" She smiled sweetly down at the writhing man, and took the empty seat next to Elphaba as she fixed her ponytail. "What are your plans for Lurlinemas, Elphie?"

"My sister saved me from having to return to Munchkinland, so I'll get to have a quiet holiday," Elphaba answered, slowly regaining her appetite.

"Not a holiday with a certain golden retriever intern?" Crope asked, wagging his eyebrows at the green woman.

"Fiyero probably has plans," Elphaba shrugged.

"You don't know?"

"I make it a point to not get involved in other people's business."

"Thropp, don't do that. We all know about your hospital romance. And up until now, it was interesting," Tibbett said.

"The highlight of my shifts," Crope added.

A hand shot up from the floor and slammed onto the table, and Boq slowly pulled himself up from the floor. He plopped into the chair, a dazed look on his face as he rubbed his neck, and avoided Glinda's glance.

"How ya feelin', bud?" Crope asked, trying not to laugh.

"Hole-punched and laminated," Boq sniffed and groaned.

"Don't worry. It'll wear off soon."

"Fiyero and I haven't made plans to spend the holiday together," the green woman admitted. "I've… we've both been so busy. Working," she added quickly when she saw the table's collective expressions. "Doing our jobs. As doctors."

"You're blushing," Tibbett sing-songed, getting dangerously close to her face.

"So nosey," Sarima chuckled.

"Tibbett, I know you better grab your nose, put it back on your face, and get it out of my business," Elphaba warned, though she couldn't hold her threatening glare and the smirk fought its way onto her face.

"Dr. Tigulaar!"

Fiyero turned, stopping in his tracks when he saw who was hurrying over to him. "Mr. Liunes. I… is everything alright?" He hadn't seen Imie's father since she died a few weeks ago. He hadn't gone to the funeral. And he regretted it. But he knew he had to follow Elphaba's advice to move on. But skipping the funeral didn't seem right. He was sure she made sure he was on call that day to try and keep his mind occupied. It almost didn't work.

"Yes. I… I was going through Imie's things and I… I found this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen with little stethoscopes.

"Oh. The pen I gave Imie."

"She loved having your 'lucky pen', and I thought it best to return it to you."

"I…" Fiyero looked up at the older man, trying his best to resist the urge to cry. "I'm so sorry."

"You did everything you could, Dr. Tigulaar. It was an uphill fight."

"I really wanted her home for Lurlinemas."

"I know. I did, too." He extended his hand for a handshake. He waited until Fiyero grasped his hand before continuing. "You're an exceptional doctor, Dr. Tigulaar. I really do appreciate and thank you for all your hard work."

Fiyero slid the pen into his lab coat pocket. "Thank you, Mr. Liunes." He watched as the man hurried back out, feeling a sense of relief and closure as the automatic doors closed behind him. With a shaky breath, he turned and continued on.

Elphaba's invitation to Fiyero to spend the holidays with her was simple. Not that Fiyero expected a big, romantic gesture, but it was fair to say that he expected more than a 'You can come over if you want'. Regardless, he accepted, and he was glad he did.

"The spelling of 'pneumonia' is so unnecessary. Why are there so many silent letters?" Fiyero sighed, autocorrect not being his friend on his phone. He was in the passenger seat of Elphaba's car, with his overnight bag in the back seat.

"Just to make our jobs harder," Elphaba said, flashing her signal and making the turn.

"Like, who decided that starting a word with a silent 'p' was an idea worth catching on?"

"People who had too much time on their hands and didn't realize how busy doctors would be. We don't have time for extra letters."

"I've seen your handwriting. You don't even write the necessary letters."

Elphaba made a face and refused to comment on her horrible handwriting.

"I've just had an epiphany! Every book I've ever read and loved is just different combinations of the same twenty-six letters, even the unnecessary ones."

She glanced at him as she turned onto her street. "That's quite a discovery," she commented. She found a nice parking spot on the side of her building and led Fiyero inside.

The apartment was just how Fiyero remembered it, only slightly less chaotic. He noted the lack of decorations, then remembered how his apartment shared that characteristic. He carefully set his bag down on the coffee table and turned, scooping Elphaba into his arms the second she removed her coat.

"Wah! Fiyero, what are you doing? Put me down!"

Instead, he spun her around and unceremoniously plopped her onto the sofa, chuckling as he leaned over and kissed her. "I've been wanting to do that all day."

"What? Almost break my back and end my career?"

"Sweep you off your feet," Fiyero corrected, kissing her again.

Elphaba blushed and wrapped her arms around him, waiting until she felt him relax before catching him off-guard.

"Fae!" he gasped as Elphaba pulled him on top of her.

Her cackle made him instantly brighten, immediately making him forget how his patient who looked like a dehydrated fruit had somehow managed to get the strength to throw a shoe in his face.

"I love you," he whispered, pulling her up and settling her in between his legs.

"I love you, too," Elphaba hummed.

"I love your eyes, your nose –"

"I –"

"Your hair, the way your nose crinkles when you're about to tell me that I'm about to do something dumb, your dimples –"

"Yero –"

"The way your –"

Elphaba cut him off with a kiss. "Do you ever let anyone else talk?" She chuckled against his lips.

"Mmm, I'll never talk again if you keep doing that," he hummed.

She spun out of his lap and straightened her shirt. "Somehow, I doubt that."

"Are you saying I talk too much?"

"I'm saying that maybe I like the sound of your voice." She stood and started unpacking her work bag. "Are you sure your family won't miss you for Lurlinemas?"

"They think I'm working."

Elphaba blinked. "You told them you were working?"

"Yeah. I told them that I was assigned extra shifts."

"So we're both avoiding our families?"

"I love Lurlinemas with my family, but when everyone in your family comes to your house, it gets very loud and chaotic. Plus, everyone would either be asking me to diagnose a weird rash on their backside, or ask me something completely unrelated to my field, then tell me that I'm not a real doctor."

"I get that. But only my sister uses my medical knowledge. I think my father is still disappointed I didn't stay in Munchkinland to take care of her."

"I've never heard of a father being disappointed that his daughter became a doctor."

"I could be the most powerful woman in Oz, and he'd still find a way to be disappointed in me. It's gotten better over the years. We can be in the same room and exchange a few words. But if there's a way I can avoid extended contact, I take it."

"When's the last time you went home for Lurlinemas?"

"Um… I think it was…" She sat next to him and closed her eyes. "It wasn't last year, or the year before that, or… Oz… I don't remember. I've always volunteered to take the Lurlinemas shifts… so people who enjoyed spending time with their families could. I was already used to spending Lurlinemas in the hospital, anyway."

"Fae –"

"I remember at least three childhood Lurlinemases where I was sick. There's probably more that I don't remember because I was clinging to life by a single thread. My father and sister wouldn't spend the holiday with me. Lurlinemas was a time of festivation, and there was festivation at the Governor's Mansion, not my bedside. It was no reason to ruin Nessa's holiday." Once she spoke her piece, she immediately clammed up, and Fiyero knew that if she was going to keep talking to him, he had to change the subject.

"I don't think I'll make it a tradition to volunteer. My parents would find a way to get me off. Speaking of getting off, can I get out of jury duty because of this job?"

Elphaba's eyebrow rose. "Jury duty? Well… it would be easier if you were a surgical resident and were needed in an emergency surgery, but if you really don't want to go, I'll see what I can do."

"I'm scheduled to go in on one of my days off."

"Then I can't help you if you're not on the schedule."

"So put me on the schedule, so I can get out of jury duty, and still enjoy my day off."

Elphaba rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "That's not how it works. There's a system –"

"Oh, I know all about systems," Fiyero smirked, pulling her against him. "And how to work them."

"Work my nerves," Elphaba corrected.

"Work the nervous system," Fiyero double-corrected.

Elphaba felt her heart skip a beat and she inhaled a shaky breath as Fiyero slid his hand down the back of her neck.

"Dr. Thropp, I believe you're experiencing a surge of activity in your cardiovascular system, brought on by stimulation to your Integumentary system." He touched her sensitive spot right above her hip and she shivered.

"And your endocrine system is working overtime," Elphaba hummed. "I'm afraid I'll have to diagnose you as corneous."

"I heard it's a very common and easily treatable condition."

"The way you kiss, it might be terminal. For both of us."

"I love it when you talk doctor to me. It's like dirty, medical foreplay, just to say that we're horny."

Elphaba smirked and kissed him. After sharing a healthy dose of medicine, the couple snuggled on the couch for a Lurlinemas movie. They flipped between two, catching bits of one while the other was on a commercial break.

"Fae," Fiyero whispered, gently nudging a sleeping Elphaba's shoulder.

"Hmmph?" she mumbled, keeping her eyes closed as she snuggled against Fiyero.

They had changed into their pajamas during one of the commercial breaks, and found themselves drifting between watching the movie and letting it start to carry them off into a Lurlinemas dreamland.

"I think it's time for bed."

"… K." She made no other move to get up, and Fiyero turned off the TV, maneuvered Elphaba's legs off his lap, and then carefully lifted her into his arms. Her head flopped against his shoulder as she sleepily clung to him, and Fiyero kissed her nose.

He helped her into bed, and slowly stepped back to not wake her, but she grasped his fingers at the last moment.

"… Stay. Please."

Fiyero paused. They had slept together before. They were two consenting adults. She made it very clear that outside the hospital, she wasn't his boss, because inside the hospital, she made it very clear that she was his boss. He knew they were both still working on separating the two, and they might never be fully done. But he pushed thoughts of work aside as he slipped under the covers, wrapped his arms around Elphaba, and smiled when she snuggled closer.

…

Fiyero had always been an early riser on Lurlinemas morning. He had a tradition from childhood where he would get out of bed the second his eyes opened, run to his parents' room, and jump on their bed to wake them. His parents would always scold him for jumping on their bed, except for one year when he fell and bumped his elbow. Instead, when his eyes fluttered open for the second time that morning, he calmly turned and glanced at Elphaba.

Her hair had freed itself from her braid and was wildly fanned out across the pillows. She was turned away from him, curled up in a ball.

He reached over and lightly tapped her arm. "Fae? Hey, Fae. You awake?"

"Hmmph?"

"Okay, um… while we were sleeping, you pushed my leg off of yours, and I was wondering if you still loved me."

Elphaba slowly forced one eye open and turned to glare at him. "I'm debating whether I do, at this moment, or not."

He grinned. "Good morning. Happy Lurlinemas."

Her glare slowly melted into a smile. "Happy Lurlinemas, Yero," she smiled, pushing herself up and wiping her hair from her face. "What time is it?"

"Later than I would let my parents sleep."

Elphaba chuckled. "So sleeping in is out of the question?" She reached for her glasses and phone on the nightstand. "Nessa already texted me pictures from the Governor's Lurlinemas Eve party." She smiled fondly, swiping through her sister's numerous pictures of her in a red and silver party dress.

Fiyero looked at the pictures over her shoulder. "She looks beautiful."

Elphaba hummed and snuggled back under the covers with her phone, starting to send and respond to texts. Fiyero kissed her cheek and pushed himself up, closing the bedroom door behind him.

When Elphaba finished responding to the first half of messages, she took a break to freshen up for the day. She heard festive music coming from the living room, but didn't remember Fiyero turning it on. When she came out, she could only stare at the sight before her.

Fiyero was wearing a robe, toothbrush in his mouth, as he danced to the Lurlinemas music playing on the music channel. He swished his lips and did a poor attempt at a tap dance move, then spun around, stopping short when he saw Elphaba.

They stared at each other for a moment, then Fiyero sashayed over and pulled her into a dance.

"Yero!" she laughed, but allowed him to twirl her. She twirled him, then pushed him back into the bathroom. "Finish up so I can take my turn."

He mumbled something, distorted due to the toothbrush, and Elphaba closed the bathroom door. She chuckled, turned the music up, and got started making breakfast. She had just finished the pancake batter when her phone buzzed.

"Happy Lurlinemas, Fabala!" Nessa smiled as soon as her sister's face came into view.

"Happy Lurlinemas, Nessie," Elphaba smiled. "I see you had fun last night."

"Yes, the party was just as fun as always. You're off today, right?"

"I'm off today, which means I'll have to work the new year, so before you go off volunteering me to do something –"

"Oh, stop that. I'm not that bad."

Elphaba made a noise in the back of her throat. "When are you returning to the city?"

"Next Wednesday, right before the spring semester begins. So you have until then to get my Lurlinemas present."

"How do you know it's not waiting for you in your apartment right now?"

"Because I know you." She paused. "Is it waiting for me?"

"It will be."

Nessa rolled her eyes. "You're impossible, Fabala."

"You love me."

"I'd love you more if you – Sweet Oz!"

"What is it? What's wrong?" Elphaba turned around to see Fiyero walking around her living room, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. "Fiyero!" she groaned.

"Elphaba!" Nessa hissed.

"Nessa!" Fiyero gasped.

In a panic, the green woman quickly ended the call with her sister, tossing her phone onto the sofa and staring at it like it was possessed. She didn't move to retrieve it, even when it started vibrating from behind the pillows. She glanced at Fiyero and slapped her hands against her hips in exasperation. "Put some pants on," she hissed through her teeth.

"How was I supposed to know you were talking to your sister, who by the way, knows we're together."

"She didn't know you would be staying over, nor that she would see you… unclothed." Her eyes widened. "She probably thinks I've seen you… unclothed. That we slept together not wearing anything at all!" Her phone seemed to vibrate even louder from behind the pillows. "Oz, she's going to kill me. She's going to kill you."

"Can I have some breakfast before she kills me?"

Elphaba sighed and rubbed her face, finally retrieving her phone. "Happy Lurlinemas, Nessie," she smiled brightly as soon as her sister's scowling face filled her screen. She planned to ignore what was just witnessed and she hoped Nessa did the same.

"I'm sure it is… for you," Nessa said. "At least now I know why you're off today."

"Happy Lurlinemas, Nessa!" Fiyero chirped, appearing behind Elphaba (now wearing a Lurlinemas sweater and pants), and gave her a cheeky wave.

Elphaba pushed Fiyero's face out of the frame. "She doesn't want to talk to you."

"Bring Fiyero back. I want to talk to him," Nessa practically commanded.

"Nessa, we're both consenting adults, and remember, there's no need to worry about me getting pregnant."

"Fabala!" Nessa hissed, but calmed when she realized her sister was right. "Very well. You're both spared… for now."

"Thank you, Nessie. Tell Father I said, 'Happy Lurlinemas', and don't tell him what you just saw."

"I won't do anything to bring that encounter back into my memory." She ended the call with a sigh and a quick wave.

Elphaba sighed and placed her phone on the counter. "Okay. That went as well as I could've expected. I – Yero!"

Fiyero snuck up behind her and kissed her neck. "What? If we're gonna get caught not doing anything, we might as well do something worth getting caught over."

"You saying that makes me think I should return to watching you like a hawk at work."

"It's your turn to get dressed. I'll finish breakfast." He kissed her cheek and danced with her over to the bathroom door, twirling her inside and closing the door behind her.

He turned his attention to the pancake batter. He hoped he be able to add this morning to his Lurlinemas morning traditions. Traditions he'd make and share with Elphaba.