Christmas Eve

"Hello, we're here!" Meredith Grey opens the door to the house and shouts out her greeting.

"Come on in," Cristina grumbles from the couch, rubbing her swollen pregnant belly.

"Hi Cristina!" Lexie appears behind Meredith. "How is Mum – how are you?"

"Ready to cut myself open to get off of bed rest," Cristina scowls. "What do you have?"

The guests hold out arms full of parcels. "We found some packages on your front porch!" Lexie beams.

"Lemme see," Cristina motions. They pile the packages by the couch.

Cristina picks up the first one and reads the label. "This one's from Alex to Baby Yang-Hunt. I bet it's a beer bong."

"I think he'd wait until McBaby is in junior high," Meredith laughs, settling on the couch next to Cristina, rubbing her own pregnant belly.

"And this one came from 'Uncle Mark' in Los Angeles." Cristina sighs as Lexie's face falls. "Sorry, Lex."

"It's okay," Lexie mutters, settling on a chair. "I bet his wife picked it out. It's probably really tacky."

Cristina picks up the next package. Her face grows angry when she reads the return address. "Teddy? Teddy sent my baby a present?"

"Oh boy." Meredith and Lexie exchange glances.

Cristina rips the parcel open and reads the tag. "Oh. My. God. 'With love from Auntie Teddy'. 'Auntie Teddy'? She is not 'Auntie Teddy' to my baby!"

"But I thought you and Teddy parted on good terms?" Lexie asks cautiously.

"We did," Cristina acknowledges. "But I never said she could be 'Auntie Teddy.' I need to see this."

"Cristina!" Meredith protests, as her friend starts to unwrap the present.

"I'm being careful, so I can wrap it up again," Cristina says. She carefully removes the wrapping paper and opens the box. Her face contorts in disgust as she looks inside.

"What is it?" Lexie asks, craning her head. Meredith leans over, looks inside the box, and starts to laugh.

"It's. A. Bear." Cristina informs Lexie. "She sent my child a teddy bear."

Meredith whoops with laughter while Cristina seethes.

"Oh!" Lexie says. "A teddy bear from Auntie Teddy."

"She is not Auntie Teddy!" Cristina lightly smacks Meredith's arm. "Stop laughing!"

"The bow!" Meredith shrieks, pointing inside the box.

"What about the bow?" Lexie asks.

Cristina sighs and holds up the bear. It is large and plush and has a bright plaid ribbon tied in a bow around its neck.

Lexie tries to suppress a giggle. "That's … so … not your style."

Cristina shakes her head and shoves the bear back into the box. She holds out the present to Lexie. "Get rid of this."

"Um what?" Lexie looks confused as Meredith laughs.

"Burn it. Throw it in the harbour. Get it out of my house," Cristina orders Lexie.

"But – but!" Lexie looks helplessly at Meredith.

"I'm too tired and pregnant to be throwing anything in the harbour," Meredith tells her sister.

"I don't get it," Lexie says.

Cristina draws in a deep breath. "Okay, yes, she was an excellent mentor to me. I would not be the awesomely supreme Cardio Goddess I am without her. She pushed me and challenged me and taught me, and I will always be grateful for that."

"So …?"

"So … she was also in love with Owen, and she crossed boundary lines. And now, she is declaring herself to be 'Auntie Teddy' to our baby," Cristina scowls.

Lexie nods. "I think I see …"

"If I had her stupid bear in my house, every time I looked at the bear, I would not remember my mentor. I would remember the woman who tried to steal my Owen, and it would make me mad."

"And Cristina is on bed rest so she can keep her blood pressure down or she'll risk pre-eclampsia," Meredith reminds her sister. "She can't get mad every time that she looks at the bear. Do you want her to die because you didn't throw the bear in the harbour?"

"But – but – what if she asks if you like the present?" Lexie asks.

"We didn't get the parcel," Cristina insists. "It must have 'gotten lost' in the mail. Get it out of my house. NOW!"

"Um, okay." Lexie scrunches up her face. "It seems a shame to waste a perfectly good—"

"I said NOW!" Cristina yells.

"Okay!" Lexie stands up.

"Take the wrapping paper too," Meredith suggests. "Remove all of the evidence."

Lexie obediently gathers up the present and the gift wrapping. Sighing, she puts on her shoes and takes the parcel outside. She opens the trunk of her car, intending to put the package inside.

"Hey, Lexie." She whirls around to see Owen getting out of his truck.

"Oh, hi," she says, holding the package close.

"I can take the package in for you if you like," he offers.

"Um – it's – the wrong size," Lexie says lamely. "It's – too big!"

Owen frowns. "That's okay. We can exchange it or put it away until later." He reaches for it, and she hugs it closer.

He looks surprised. "What's wrong?"

Lexie opens her mouth, then grimaces. "Your wife is crazy."

"I know," he smiles. "What did she do now?"

She gulps. "She told me to take this present and throw it into the harbour because it's from Teddy."

Owen laughs. "That sounds like Cristina."

"It's a teddy bear from 'Auntie Teddy,' and she flipped," Lexie explains. "I was going to donate the bear to the nursery at the hospital instead of throwing it out."

He nods. "I really don't think it should go anywhere near Seattle Grace. I think if Cristina wants it gone, get it as far away from her as possible. Donate it to kids in Mexico if you can't destroy it."

"Okay. And FYI - the bear 'never arrived.' It got 'lost in the mail,'" Lexie informs Owen.

"And this conversation never happened," he assures her. "I got out of the truck and did not see you sticking a parcel in your trunk."

"Good," Lexie exhales. She looks at Owen. "How do you put up with Cristina on bed rest?"

"We've worked it out," he smiles. "And now that she's full-term, I pray every day for labour to start."

"Then, I'll pray for that too," Lexie smiles.