Cheers!

S06E10

It seems that one of the bonuses of working at Seattle Grace is that, if you don't already have a horrible relationship with your parents, you'll be sure to develop some sort of problem that will then play out publicly in front of all of your co-workers. (Watch out, Arizona!) Bailey has not told her parents about her divorce, and things are fine until her father shows up for Christmas to see his grandson. Once the cat is out of the bag, he tells her how ashamed he is of her for destroying her family, so she invites herself over to Derek and Meredith's for dinner to prove she has friends and a life. Her dad just gives her a talking-to for using the word "bowel" at the table, so she finally blows up and tells him that her son is healthy and happy and that's what is important, and then they and all of her friends and co-workers who have just witnessed the fight try and relax and have some turkey. It puts the "fun" in "dysfunctional," all right.

Derek and Arizona have a patient that comes in on Thanksgiving -- a child whose nosebleeds are caused by a tangle of blood vessels in his brain. When Derek tries to operate it turns out he can't get to the problem, but have no fear, he is Derek, a Neuro God, and he's on the case. He works with Mark and Arizona to invent the tools he needs to do the surgery, and the three of them even pay for it out of their own pockets, and it's all very Spirit of Christmas. Mark's probably just relieved to have something else to concentrate on for a little while, since on Thanksgiving a blonde 18-year-old walked into the hospital to drop the bomb that she is his daughter. Mercifully, they do a paternity test right away and so we won't have to suffer through a number of episodes before finding out it's all a lie -- no, this bratty, selfish, pain in the butt really is his daughter. She moves in with him and Lexie, much to Lexie's dismay, and shows no signs of leaving anytime soon.

Cristina and Teddy's patient is a girl whose heart gives out on Thanksgiving. It's too diseased to leave in her body, so Teddy hooks her up to a machine that will pump her blood for a while until they can find her a heart -- which both helps the girl and leaves Cristina even more in awe of Teddy's bad-assity. As the holidays pass by, however, and the women keep working together, Cristina realizes that something weird is up in between Hunt and Teddy. Hunt has been distracted, and finally he pulls Teddy aside to demand to know why she told him she was interested; Teddy cries that she's always been in love with Hunt, but Hunt (who seems for a few moments like he's totally going to reciprocate) tells her that he loves Cristina. Cristina finally confronts him about what is possibly going on and happily, he tells her he loves her. Happy New Year to them! Happy New Year also to Bailey, who makes up with her father, and to Derek, who of course manages to get the tool ready just in time and save the boy's life.

The people for whom New Year's isn't so happy are Mark, whose new teen daughter admits she's pregnant (or is she?) and Meredith and the Chief. Back around Thanksgiving, after she saw Richard having a drink, he offers to mentor her and she accepts. He, however, is only doing it to distract her from the fact that he's totally off the wagon. She's happy to play along, but when Joe calls her on New Year's to come help him out, and the Chief is dancing around to the music, drink in hand, she seems to realize that currently the shit is in fact hitting the fan.

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As has happened so often lately, we begin this episode at night -- Thanksgiving Eve, to be precise. Mere is waiting in the darkened skills lab, and she VOs, "The best gift I ever got was for Christmas when I was 10: my very first suture kit. I used it until my fingers bled, and then I tried to use it to stitch up my fingers. It put me on the path to becoming a surgeon." It turns out she's there because the Chief paged her, though she doesn't seem too excited to see him. He wants to say something about the other night -- he claims it wasn't what she thinks, and even though she looks terribly uncomfortable and tries to say his personal life is none of her business, he presses on. He goes into a lengthy explanation of how he diagnosed himself with alcoholism 20 years previously, but now he realizes that while it was bad, it wasn't alcoholism but was "situational depression." Meredith seems skeptical until he basically says that "situation" was her mother, and Mere laughs and agrees that Ellis escalated her drinking as well. His long, justifying explanation is basically a giant red flag with, "I'm a relapsing alcoholic!" displayed on it, and those words begin flashing in lights when he asks if she's told anyone else about what she saw. She hasn't, so he changes the subject, flattering her raw talent which he claims to have noticed since he stopped operating. He then asks her if she'd like a mentor. Mere VO's, "My point is, sometimes the best gifts come in really surprising packages." Well, this scene describes that but your surgeon mother giving you a suture kit, and that helping make you interested in surgery, isn't really surprising whatsoever, actually. She seems to be just willfully ignoring the very large string attached to this offer, which is that she continue to not mention his drinking non-problem to anyone.

Cristina and Hunt are having a much better time, making out like horny teenagers in the on-call room until Cristina gets paged. She's excited to see that it's from Teddy, and she runs off leaving Hunt clearly frustrated.

Derek sees what Mere seems to be ignoring, which is that this situation is odd, but of course he's Derek so he thinks it's all about him, and that Richard is doing this to get to Derek. Because why wouldn't this have to do with Derek, since he is a Neuro God and the very life blood of the hospital? Good lord, McDreamy, get off it. Mere shuts down the conversation and instead they get mushy and start making out. Thank goodness something will shut him up.

By Lauren S

Back at the hospital, Teddy and Cristina are working in a patient's open chest -- the problem is that the girl's body is rejecting her donor heart. Avery mentions for our future knowledge that she had been on her third date with the guy that brought her in, and then we get back to the medicine; her heart is so bad that Teddy is going to have to take it out now. Cristina asks what they are going to replace it with, but Teddy says she doesn't know, and they'll have to figure it out as they go. The statement is dramatic enough to linger while we fade to the title card.

After surgery, they are talking to her date (helpfully ID'd by imdb as "Kelsey's boyfriend") who is really confused as to how Kelsey is currently lying there without a heart. Avery starts explaining but Cristina impatiently cuts him off to explain how there are a couple of machines hooked up to Kelsey's blood vessels that are pumping her blood. Boyfriend says he likes her a lot even though this was only their fourth date, but he's upset since he was supposed to go home for Thanksgiving, and was bringing Kelsey along. Teddy gently tells him that if he wants to go, she will be in good hands with the staff, but Boyfriend says that she has no family, and if it was him he'd want someone there so he will stay. Cristina stares at him -- she doesn't really change expression but the lingering shot leads me to believe that this has made her Think. Teddy is clearly happy about his decision, while Avery looks troubled, and poor Boyfriend just looks really, really nervous.

Callie walks up to the nurses station in time to overhear Bailey on the phone. She's talking to her mom about how sorry she is to have to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that she and Tucker would have loved to bring Little Tuck home. Once Bailey hangs up, Callie asks her the obvious, which is if she hasn't told her parents about the divorce. She asks how long Bailey thinks she can keep that a secret, but Bailey hits back right where it counts, asking how long Callie kept the secret about how she was dating women from her family. Callie gets it and nods, but Bailey looks troubled.

Lexie is helping a kid, Nicholas, with a crazy nosebleed when Derek comes in and tells the parents that the boy has Something Fancyitis. Arizona explains that the boy has a tangle of blood vessels in his brain that need to be removed right away, and when the parents understandably freak out a little bit Derek promises them as always to do the best he can, but says they have to operate immediately.

By Lauren S

A busty young blonde walks into the ER looking for Sloan, and Alex directs her over to where he is debriding (thanks readers!) a guy's leg after a deep-fried turkey accident. The girl walks up to him and immediately launches into a blunt introduction. Her name is Sloan Riley, her mom's name is Samantha Riley, and, "I'm pretty sure you're my dad." Lexie walks up then, blissfully unaware of the bomb that was just dropped, but Callie and Alex heard and are outright staring in disbelief.

Mark and Sloan have been moved to a conference room and are silently staring at one another, Mark clearly sizing her up. She stares back but her looks is much more vacant. Callie walks in carrying some supplies and asks if they've talked yet about a paternity test, as she's brought what they need to do one. Clearly no one has spoken a word, but I don't think it's ever not a good time for that in this kind of situation.

Someone clearly brought Lexie up to speed on the situation, and once she's in surgery with Derek and Arizona she freaks out that Sloan isn't much older than she is. Derek very sensitively says he's not surprised given how much Mark got around before he settled with Lexie. Arizona calls him mean -- I guess it wouldn't be a good idea to give him the slap he deserves given that he's got his hands in a child's brain. He gets back to the task at hand and swears, since he sees that he can't access the feeder veins, which means he can't repair the problem and can only do a temporary fix. Once the kid starts bleeding later, there will be nothing to do. Lexie asks the obvious, if this means they are sending a little boy home to die, and Arizona adds, "Happy Thanksgiving, Jacobson family."

Teddy and Hunt are waiting outside and couldn't be more awkward, as she resolutely doesn't look at him and they make small talk about the weather. He turns to her and says her name but she brushes him off, clearly embarrassed and not wanting to talk about what she said last week. An ambulance comes up and they jump to action, saving them from the conversation for a little while.

The Jacobsons are understandably confused and gutted since it had sounded like Derek would be able to help Nicholas no problem. Derek tells them that the only way to remove the cluster is through the sinus, leaving Mrs. J to ask why he can't then do that. I get that this was done for the storytelling, but all I could think at the time is that no doctor would just say, "Well, here's how you fix it," and then stop, leaving the parent to ask why he doesn't just do it, already. But he does, and she asks, and he tells her that no instruments exist that are small enough for a kid-sized nasal cavity, so she then asks who invents something like that. Derek, of course, looks thoughtful.

By Lauren S

Mark is still at the table, staring skeptically at Sloan, and as Callie finishes up taking blood she breaks the silence to point out that now would be a good time for him to say something. He doesn't, so Sloan asks if he's high. I don't think she's trying to be funny, I think she really is asking, but they are interrupted by Derek, who wants to talk to Mark. When he says "Sloan," Sloan thinks he's calling her name and looks absolutely delighted for a second, and already it's obvious that we're supposed to realize she's kind of a mouthy twit.

As they walk, Mark finally finds the power of speech again and freaks out more about how old this makes him rather than about the fact that he has a daughter running around. Derek, however, wants to talk to him about Nicholas and how he and Arizona need Mark's help. Mark's upset that he doesn't get more time to pout.

Cristina, Mere and Alex are hanging out in the skills lab and Mere and Cristina are eating and Cristina declares this the best Thanksgiving ever, since there is no family, traditions, or saying what one is grateful for. Alex in fact wants to do the opposite -- say what they are not grateful for, and naturally Cristina brings up the merger and Mere mentions the Mercy Westers themselves. As they gripe, Alex is practicing a stitch and Mere corrects his technique. The talk turns to her new mentor, and Cristina chalks it up to her daddy issues (though wouldn't that be her asking the Chief to be mentor and not the other way around?) while Alex calls her the Chief's bitch. Wow, that has got to be my least favorite new gag on this show, just because it was barely funny the first time and is now even dumber. Alex and Cristina start to bicker until Meredith shuts them down and goes back to helping Alex.

Lexie, Callie and Arizona, meanwhile, have gotten to leave the hospital and are at home preparing Thanksgiving dinner. As Lexie chops celery, Mark walks in the door and they all smile, but the smiles fall a little when Sloan follows him in. Callie asks who wants wine and Sloan immediately says she does, but Mark shuts her down -- now we know she's not just mouthy, she's a mouthy underage drinker. Mark announces, with a lot of forced cheer, that the results came back and that he really is Sloan's dad, and then tells them that he's invited Sloan to move in for a little while. Lexie is so... thankful to hear it that she chops off the tip of her finger and barely notices that she's now bleeding all over the celery. Aw, man! Now what is going to add a bit of crunch to the stuffing?

Christmas Eve. The Chief is teaching Meredith a suture and he tells her that it should be a dance, that she should let the needle be the man and take the lead. He then flatters that he hasn't seen skill like that since her mother and wistfully adds that she could dance. It sounds like he means both with a needle and thread as well as on a date. Mere sees an opening and tells Richard that he should make up with Derek since it is Christmas, and in general it's just time. He doesn't seem too excited about it, instead just correcting her suture.

Lexie apparently likes to leave her decorating to the last minute -- she's trimming the tree when Mark comes over to her and checks on her finger, which is reportedly nearly healed though still all bandaged up. Both look over at Sloan, who is doing her nails, and Mark asks Lexie how long she's planning to stay. Obviously his communication skills haven't improved, and Lexie illustrates this by reminding him that he's spoken all of three sentences to his daughter over the past month and suggests he talk to her himself. She tries to tell him that Sloan is easy to like once you get to know her, but Mark expresses doubt and Lexie admits that Sloan is completely vapid. That said, she's still the fruit of Mark's loins, and she pushes him in her direction with orders to try. Sloan turns around and sees him standing, again unable to speak, and asks jokingly, "What are you looking at, you old perv?" Ew, don't make that joke about your dad, even if you only just met him.

Bailey is at her own home when there is a knock at the door, and she's shocked to open it and see her father standing there. He says that her mom sent him, and Bailey knows that means he's heard, which he confirms he does through the family grapevine. He works his way in before she can ask him in to the slightly dreary apartment, and she stutters that she was going to put up a tree. He asks where Tuck is, and Bailey admits that he's back east with Tucker and his family since she had him for Thanksgiving. Her dad seems not to have really believed about the divorce until he hears that, and he asks if it is true. Bailey sighs and seems just like a kid again, rather than an accomplished surgeon, but isn't that what happens to all of us around our parents?

Kelsey is feeling her chest, disconcerted by her lack of a heartbeat. She tells them about what it was like to climb the Inca Trail back before all this happened, and how you were alone then with your own heartbeat. As Cristina examines her, Kelsey admits to Teddy that she is getting tired, but Cristina tells her to just hang on until New Year's Eve, which is a virtual "organpalooza" of drunk drivers and brain death. Teddy looks a little bit troubled at her glamorizing these things, but she keeps quiet and Boyfriend just tells Kelsey to hold on so that they can hike together one day, reminding her that it's beautiful outside the hospital and even snowing outside. It's a really sweet touch that there's a little Christmas tree in her room, and I like to imagine Boyfriend brought in for her. Kelsey, upon hearing about the snow, tells the docs that she needs to go outside. Both women simultaneously ask, "What?" and Kelsey tells them that she might die, and snow is her favorite thing in the world. Cristina starts to shut her down but Teddy says they can do it, to Cristina's -- and to a point, Boyfriend's -- skepticism.

While Derek works away on a light-up practice brain, Mark talks about Sloan and how he wants to just run away where nowhere can find him, he doesn't even know what she wants since they haven't talked, and his guilt. Derek tries to clear him of that guilt by pointing out that Mark didn't know, but Mark admits that he did know Samantha got pregnant, and that he gave her cash and left, assuming she had an abortion. Derek thinks a second and says that now Mark is a different guy now, not 18 anymore. I get the impression he's supposed to mean it but he's still kind of distracted and sounds kind of insincere. There isn't much time to think about it, though, because Arizona comes in and reports that Nicholas is back with a really bad nosebleed. Derek isn't ready, so Arizona says she'll transfuse until it is. She asks if it's going to be soon, sounding hopeful, but neither man answers her.

Bailey's dad, Bill, is up in the gallery watching a surgery when Callie finds him and introduces herself. She tells him that Bailey is doing a hernia repair, which is something they get a lot of at Christmas with all the heavy lifting, also talking happily about the extra broken bones they see. As if it's a logical topic, she then says that she's now dating women. Bill is taken aback, but Callie explains that her family had a hard time but they are now working through it, and she brings it up because Bailey told her that Bill is having a hard time with the divorce. Very sincerely, she tells him that Bailey didn't come to the decision lightly, and that she's a great person. She seems to read on his face that she overstepped her bounds and stops herself, wishing him a merry Christmas.

Teddy, Cristina, Avery and a random extra doc are wheeling Kelsey, in a robe and snow hat, down the hall. Teddy asks if Hunt ever told Cristina about the time he made it snow, and when Cristina answers in the negative, tells a story about a time that Hunt ordered a snow machine when they were out in the desert. The snow wouldn't stick, so he blindfolded everyone and put their faces up to the machine, and Teddy positively gushes when she says one kid from Minnesota cried that it felt like Christmas. When Teddy leans over to fix one of Kelsey's wires, Avery leans in and begins mocking her, cooing about how, "Hunt's so delicious when he's tending to bloody soldiers!" Cristina immediately tells him to shut up.

After surgery, Bailey finds her dad and asks him how he liked it, clearly proud of herself. He tells her that he's been a proud father her whole life, and as he goes on about all the recitals and graduations he's attended there is clearly a huge "but" coming, though Bailey doesn't seem to realize that. It makes it all the worse when he tells her that as she fixed a fat man's hernia, he felt ashamed of her for the first time for giving up her family and coming home to an empty house just for that. He claims he would be a bad father if he didn't tell her he thinks she's making a mistake, and then goes so far as to say that she has set her son up to fail, and the child he raised is a better person than that. It really started out badly and then went from low blow to even lower blow, and Bailey is rightfully taken aback to hear all this from her own father.

The doctors are all watching Kelsey as she stands on the pedals of her wheelchair with her face happily to the snow. Hunt comes out and puts a jacket over Cristina's shoulders, and when Cristina points out all the things that could go wrong and how she's baffled as to how Teddy made this decision, Hunt replies that it's all about patient care. He adds, his voice a little too soft, that Teddy is a sucker for Christmas, and Cristina turns and looks at him as he watches Kelsey with a smile. Kelsey licks the snowflakes off her lips and closes her eyes, but as the song in the background fades to a close, she faceplants into the asphalt.

Kelsey gets quite a Christmas gift -- instead of waking up to a stocking filled with goodies, she gets the news from Bailey that part of her bowel has died, which is why she collapsed. Her boyfriend just pleads with the doctors to fix her, clearly petrified by how close she obviously is to death. Out in the hall, Bailey tells the other doctors that they need to operate immediately, but Cristina asks how given that she's septic and, oh yes, has no heart, among other problems. She points out that Kelsey's blood pressure is too low for general anesthesia and she won't survive, but Bailey has a very Derek moment and slowly but confidently announces that they won't put her under general anesthesia, then. Somehow this kind of live-on-the-edge proclamation sounds more organic and less asshole-y coming from her than from Derek.

Mark and Derek are showing Mere how they are going to do the surgery, but Meredith is no dummy and asks them what instrument they are going to use and they have to admit that they don't have it yet. Mark assures her that they will once they figure out how to build it, but Mere can't ask more questions because Bailey comes in and asks them for an invitation to their house for Christmas dinner. She points out that she knows it's late given that Christmas dinner is only a few hours away, but tells them that her father is worried and if he thinks she doesn't have friends and a life, he'll never leave. Daddy issues are Meredith's specialty, and she and Derek of course tell her that it's fine. Bailey runs off to do her bowel repair before dinner, and after she leaves Arizona comes in and tells them that the Chief cut the funding and that they are way over budget but that their kid is running out of time.

They head over to Richard's office and ask for their bonuses to go towards the instrument, but Richard just says no. When both Mark and Arizona protest, Richard doesn't answer, which leaves Derek to figure it out and tell the other two that there are no bonuses this year. Now that the bad news is out there and he was able to once again shy away from giving it, Richard announces that there aren't any bonuses this year. Honestly, how has anyone let this man continue to run the hospital given that he hasn't actually done much of anything other than hide behind other people lately? Oh, wait. I work in Hollywood. I've seen this happen in real life more times than I care to admit. Very well, carry on. After this has sunk in for the docs, Derek offers to write a check, and Arizona then offers to split it with him. Derek thanks her and they both wait a beat, but Mark doesn't chime in as expected and when they look pointedly at him he says he's got a teenager, what if she wants to go to college? Arizona awesomely asks, "Have you met her?" That said, Mark is now in too. Richard thanks them and says he'll get the numbers, but then has Derek stay behind once the other two leave. Once alone, he apologizes for "trying to fire" Derek. Derek, always a class act, just smiles and leaves without saying anything. Seriously? It's all you've been wanting and now you say nothing? Good grief.

By Lauren S

Afterward, both Bailey and Cristina go to Meredith's for Christmas dinner. Teddy asks how Kelsey did and Bailey first explains to everyone who the girl is, and then says happily that she did a bowel repair while the girl was awake. Her father, whose mood seems only to have gotten worse, chastises her for using the word "bowel" at the dinner table, which serves to embarrass absolutely everyone. After a moment of silence, Bailey quietly says that her child is healthy, and while her dad tries to interrupt a few times she defends that she outgrew her marriage, and that it was a toxic environment and not what she wanted to model for her son. Her dad argues this isn't the time and place, though anyone could realistically argue back that he completely started it. Everyone else just stares down at their plates and Bailey finally says that part of the reason she is happy is because she got to repair a bowel and save a life, which is God's work and therefore appropriate Christmas dinner table conversation. All of the surgeons agree, though quietly, as if they don't want Bill turning all Angry Dad on them too. Bailey repeats through tears that Tuck is healthy and she is happy, which is enough for her today, and then begins to angrily stab at some turkey until Arizona offers green beans down the table to break the silence. Everyone starts with the false cheer while Bailey pulls herself back together.

It's New Year's Eve, and Richard tries to show Mere a new suture but can't do it because his hands are shaking so badly, so he offers to talk her through it. Given that the shakes were too obvious to ignore, he tells her then that last night was his last drink, and as such the shaking will stop soon. Mere says that's good, and then actually goes so far as to ask if she has to stop drinking tequila because she really likes it. Aren't we past her trying to make light of this, given that he has tremors? As a grown woman, can't she see that alcoholic or not, mentioning her own drinking is at best super inappropriate and at worst unsupportive and makes him think it's really not that bad, so he goes back to it? I don't get why her good sense took a leave of absence for the holidays.

Lexie and Mark are huddled together in their apartment while Sloan obliviously reads on the sofa. Lexie's had enough, and she says that as Sloan has shown no signs of leaving, Mark needs to talk to her or no more sex. She's finally gotten to him where it counts, and Mark walks up to his daughter and asks what she is reading. Sloan is a tad (just a tad) smarter than I thought, and she knows this is the beginning of the conversation where he asks what her plans are. She starts to get teary as she moans that she knows they don't really like her, and Lexie is freaked out because she's, "kinda, like, hotter than her," but... she's pregnant. Sloan, not Lexie. They haven't given this girl one redeeming characteristic so far, so my reaction is to roll my eyes up into my head -- if they hadn't proven Mark's paternity I'd figure she was just taking him for a ride. That said, I won't believe this pregnancy until I see a positive test. She claims her mother kicked her out and she has nowhere else to go, so Mark holds her and tries to soothe her and say it's going to be okay.

Nicholas is back in the hospital and things are bad; Arizona tells his parents calmly that they'll have to tube him to help him breathe. However, Derek runs in with his superhero cape fluttering behind and tells Arizona to just bag him as they have finished the instruments. He hands over the release forms to the parents and they sign in a daze while Arizona jokes about his timing and Derek says he likes to be dramatic. It would be more charming if there didn't seem to be more than a grain of truth there, given his ego.

Kelsey is also in dire straits, but so far no organs have magically appeared in the hospital. Her kidneys are shutting down and she's turned a chalky shade of grey, all the better to make Cristina feel guilty as she says weakly that Cristina said she just had to hang on until New Year's Eve. Cristina tries to remain positive and says there will be drunks all over the road that night, but she doesn't seem entirely to believe herself.

A ton of doctor extras are gathered in the gallery to watch Derek go in through Nicholas' nose and do the surgery. He, Mark and Arizona are all looking through microscopes and even though Derek frets that he could have used another day, he finishes up successfully. There's much rejoicing among all the docs as well as Meredith and Lexie, who have been there watching. Derek then looks at the clock and sees that it's a few seconds to midnight, so they all count down and kiss through their masks. It's totally contrived, but still sweet.

Hunt is in the ER and finds himself gazing at Teddy, who doesn't notice. Cristina walks in and smiles, thinking he's looking in her direction, but when she realizes who he really is watching -- and when he finally sees her and looks totally guilty -- she walks out. Hunt then grabs Teddy and roughly pulls her into an empty room to talk. Teddy was totally oblivious to the little drama that just unfolded and is pretty pissed at this treatment, especially when Hunt demands to know why she said what she did last week about her feelings. She wants to know why he cares, and as they yell at each other the truth comes out -- Hunt absolutely felt the same way about her, but she's crushed since he never once gave her any indication of his feelings. It's a supercharged environment and Teddy admits that she's loved him as long as she's known him, whether she was single or not, and she leans in as she's talking until they nearly kiss. But just as I'm thinking the worst of Owen, he tells Teddy that he loves Cristina, and he walks out.

By Lauren S

Teddy walks out, a bit shellshocked, to answer Cristina's page, and she happily reports that she just confirmed brain death on an 18-year-old and made all of the arrangements for the heart to go to Kelsey. After she gives Teddy the whole rundown, she happily declares that this is why New Year's Eve is her favorite holiday. Teddy's not in the mood, and I suspect she's wondering why she has lost out to this sadistic woman, so she tells Cristina to stop, and pulls her over to show her the room where the newly brain-dead teen is lying. Her dad is in there, sobbing over her body, and it's sobering even for Cristina. Teddy tells her that this isn't a celebration and for once, Cristina seems to really understand that.

By Lauren S

New Year's Day. Kelsey is out of surgery, her kidneys have stabilized, and she's back to a normal shade of human. She can't stop feeling her heartbeat and she has her boyfriend feel as well, but Cristina declines the offer and instead listens to her chest with a stethoscope. As she listens, Boyfriend pulls out a ring, and a shocked but happy Kelsey asks him what he's doing. Cristina echoes the sentiment, much less happily, but Boyfriend plunges in, saying that it's only been a couple of months (and only technically four dates, Kelsey reminds him) but they've been through war together and come out the other side, which means they can get through anything. Did everyone catch the contrived, emphasized war reference and Cristina's troubled notice of the word? Yes? It would be impossible not to, it was so clunky? Well, there you have it. He asks Kelsey to marry him and she happily accepts, while Cristina watches them with a face of stone.

She then goes outside and finds Hunt out in the cold. He looks absolutely tortured and she tells him that while she can be insensitive, she's not oblivious. She actually begins crying as she tells him he shouldn't be together just because he feels like he owes her something, because she knows he and Teddy went through war. He turns to her and grabs her into a crazy hot, deep kiss. He tells her between kisses that he loves her, and that he wants to be together with her for that very reason. She is uncharacteristically insecure and asks if he's sure, so he starts kissing her anew. Excuse me a moment while I go fan myself for a moment, Holy Hot Army Majors.

New Year's Voiceover Time! "Every day, we get to give the gift of life. It can be painful. It can be terrifying. But in the end, it's worth it. Every time." Mark, Arizona and Derek look through a window into Nicholas' room and happily watch as he plays with his parents.

"We all have the opportunity to give. Maybe the gifts are not as dramatic as what happens in the operating room." Bailey walks down the stairs, sees her father, and immediately shrinks into herself. He apparently went to Tucker's for New Year's Eve and he happily tells her about how he tucked Little Tuck into bed and gave him a kiss at midnight. This leads him into the more pressing subject at hand, and he tells her that he did the same for her every night of her childhood, and that she then grew up and got a divorce without telling him. Bailey admits that she didn't know how to tell him, and that she didn't want to disappoint him and be judged. Her dad puts it into perspective when he asks how she'd feel if Tuck did the same thing to her one day, and she gets it and apologizes to him. VO: "Maybe the gift is to try and make a civil apology." Her dad tells her he's not judging her, he's just worrying, and the two of them walk off together, with Bill admitting that Tuck doesn't seem the worse for wear after the divorce. He gives Bailey a kiss, and she visibly relaxes. Seriously, there's nothing like a showdown with a parent to make you feel like a 12-year-old again.

By Lauren S

"Maybe it's to understand another person's point of view. Maybe it's to hold a secret for a friend. The joy, supposedly, is in the giving." Mere, meanwhile, is having to take a bit of the parent role, as Joe pages her to come to the bar. He apologizes profusely but didn't know who else to call -- the Chief's "celebrating" is getting rather public and Joe knows that could be bad for his career. Just then Richard, who has been shimmying to the jukebox, sees Meredith and happily comes over, slurring his words as he says what an amazing surgeon she will be. Meredith gets even more uncomfortable when he compares her to her mother. He then trips over his words as he tells Joe to get Meredith a tequila, very proud that he remembered that's her drink of choice, and then says he wants another club soda. He does it with a huge, cartoonish wink that comes from being extremely drunk, and it would be funny if it weren't sad. Meredith looks nauseous, which I suspect comes from her finally not being able to ignore that the Chief has a really huge problem and has tried to get her to help him cover it up. "So when the joy is gone, when the giving starts to feel more like a burden, that's when you stop. But if you're like most people I know, you give 'til it hurts. And then you give some more."

And with all of the holiday celebrations portrayed, I think that we are off for the year, my lovelies. Here's wishing everyone a happy Christmahanukwanzaakah or whatever your holiday of choice happens to be, and see you in 2010!