Disclaimer

-----

Isaac is on the phone in his office.

Isaac: (on phone) Yes. Word is Casey is volunteering to work on Christmas Eve and Day. I didn't ask him to do it, but he wants to do it. (listens) I know that. For years, Dana has been trying to convince me to do the show on Christmas Day.

Dana walks in the office. Isaac motions her to come over and sit down.

Isaac: (on phone) Yes. We'll make the changes. Marcus and Tina will have the night off and Casey will do the show by himself. All right. Good night. (hangs up phone)

Dana sits in a chair.

Dana: You wanted to speak with me?

Isaac sits behind his desk.

Isaac: Dana. What's going on with Casey?

Dana: It's personal, Isaac.

Isaac: I don't need it here, Dana. That is the last thing I need from him. He's been up, and he's been down. I don't need him working himself crazy just to have his ex-wife come blazing in here screaming at me like she did four years ago.

Dana: It's not going to happen, Isaac.

Isaac: It better not. I'm holding Casey responsible if she comes in here again.

Dana: She used to be my best friend, Isaac. I'm sure she realized her mistake.

Isaac gives Dana an unconvincing look.

-----

Dan opens the door and walks into the office. He notices Casey sitting at his desk and staring straight ahead.

Dan: Closed-door meeting?

Casey: Huh?

Dan: The door was closed.

Casey: Oh, that. Yeah. It was nothing.

Dan sits at his desk.

Casey: Where have you been?

Dan: Jeremy's gift trouble. He doesn't know what to get Natalie.

Casey: I have the same problem.

Dan: You want to get Natalie a gift?

Casey: Not Natalie. Dana.

Dan: Okay.

Dan pretends to start to work because he knows Casey is going to interrupt him anyway. It is better to be interrupted doing nothing, instead of being interrupted doing something.

Casey: I want details and I want them now.

Dan: The Vols have suspended two players for the Cotton Bowl for academic reasons.

Casey: You know what I'm talking about, Daniel.

Dan smiles, knowing he is playing around with Casey. He decides to give him the information he wants to know- about seeing Dana and Kevin at the Plaza Hotel the other night.

Dan: Dana had dinner after the show the other night with Kevin Chandler. He was very well dressed in an Armani suit. I didn't get a good look at his face because his back was to me and he didn't take his eyes of Dana for a minute. When they were leaving, I noticed that Dana was carrying a single pink rose. Truthfully, I didn't know that Dana liked pink roses.

Casey: She didn't use to. But Gordon always brought her red roses, so I guess she doesn't want to be reminded of him.

Dan pulls out a pencil from his drawer.

Casey: Why didn't she tell me she was seeing somebody?

Dan: Why would she tell you?

Casey: What do you mean 'why'?

Dan: Given your history lately, I'm not surprised she didn't tell you. In fact, I would be kind of surprised if she did tell you.

Casey: I've known her half my life Dan, she used to tell me these kinds of things.

Dan: This isn't a recent development, Case.

Casey: What do you mean? I thought they had only been dating a couple of weeks.

Dan: How did you find out about Gordon?

Casey: When she brought him to the Continental Corp cocktail party.

Dan: And prior to that evening, did she mention that she was seeing someone?

Casey: No.

Dan: And didn't you get the impression that it wasn't their first date that night?

Casey: Yes.

Dan: Why would she tell you about Kevin?

Casey thinks about it for a moment.

Casey: I need to get her a gift. I don't know what to get Dana for Christmas.

Dan: You said you've known Dana half your life. What's so hard about knowing what to get her?

Casey: It can't be any old gift. It has to be something which shows how much I love-

Casey stops just realizing what he had just said. Dan stares at Casey, leans back in his chair, and crosses his arms.

Dan: Love?

Casey shakes his head in denial.

Casey: After the holidays. After the holidays, I'll get everything straightened out.

Dan tries to get Casey back on track.

Dan: For Dana's gift, think of what she wishes for most.

Casey: I'm not allowed to shoot her mother, and the only way to get snow in here is to tune the AC to like 20 degrees. Do you know how cold that is?

Dan: What?

Casey: I know she is trying to stay positive and everything. But her mother just seems to drive her crazy.

Dan: No, the part about the snow. Dana wants snow?!

Casey: Yes. She misses the snow of Cedar Rapids suburb country.

Dan: And what does she think the white stuff coming out of the sky is?

Casey: She means the actual fluffy, drift-forming, stick-to-the-ground snow, not New York Instant-slush snow.

Dan: Then get her snow.

Casey: Excuse me?

Dan: You said she wants snow? Get her snow.

Casey's face lights up.

Casey: We need a plan.

-----

The show is wrapping up for the evening.

Dan: (on-air) As you can plainly see, gracefulness doesn't always come to athletes, especially when they are on ice.

Casey: (on-air) Even though hockey players spend their time on the ice, there are times when the cold stuff comes back and nips at them.

Dan: (on-air) Let's see that fight again. Targon of the Blackhawks tries to throw a punch, misses, slips on the ice, falls flat on his keester, and pulls his groin in the process.

Casey: (on-air) Dan, do you heat a muscle pull or put ice on it?

Dan: (on-air) There's nothing you can do for a strained brain, Casey.

Casey: (on-air) And that's going to do it for tonight. Happy Holidays from everyone here to all of you at home. Good night.

-----

Dave: Roll credits.

Will: Music's up.

Chris: Credit's up.

Dana: We shouldn't have cut that fifteen seconds from the Rangers piece.

Natalie turns and glares at Dana.

Dana: The closing piece was way too long.

Natalie nods her head in agreement.

Dave: We're out.

Dana: Good show, everybody. Now there's a Christmas party-

Natalie: Holiday.

Dana: Thank you, Natalie. A holiday party for everyone to attend!

Everyone starts to make their way out from the control room and toward the newsroom and the party.

Casey walks into the control room.

Casey: Dana.

Dana: Casey.

Casey: So are you ready for your present?

Dana grins with anticipation.

Dana: Where is it?

Casey: You'll need to come with me. I couldn't get it in here.

Dana: Is it a convertible?

Casey: No. Oh, and first... (pulls out a scarf) I have to blindfold you.

Dana looks at Casey skeptically.

Dana: You have to blindfold me?

Casey: Yes, I have to blindfold you. (covers her eyes with the scarf and ties it behind her head) Is that too tight?

Dana: Fine, Casey.

Casey waves his hand in front of Dana's face, and she doesn't flinch or offer any reaction to it.

Casey: No peeking.

Casey leads Dana down the hall. He holds her hand and pulls her along. He leads her to her office, where the door is closed and the lights are out. Casey opens the door.

Casey: Take off your blindfold.

Dana takes off her blindfold, looks into her office, and flicks on the light switch.

As you look into her office, you notice it has been transformed into a wintry wonderland. Baby powder is sprinkled on every surface. The plants are sprayed with a silver-white substance, making it look like real snow. Dana gasps at the beautiful sight.

Dana: Oh my God, Casey...when did you-?

Casey: Commercial breaks and long segments. And oh, and nothing's ruined. Don't worry.

Dana: It's... it's...

Casey: Tacky?

Dana: No...incredibly sweet.

Dana leans over and kisses Casey on the cheek.

-----

The crew has gathered back in the newsroom for the holiday party. Christmas carols are playing over the speakers, a feat Chris made possible through the newsroom audio system. Everyone is mingling around, talking, and laughing. Everyone is having fun. Everyone, that is, except for Dan. He is standing in the corner, watching everybody and searching through the group. He alone is searching for one particular person.

Dan: It would help if I knew what she looked like.

"Excuse me?"

Dan jumps and turns, only to realize it is Casey standing beside him.

Dan: Hey man. I was just talking to myself.

Casey: It's catchy you know.

Dan: I've noticed.

Casey: So what are you doing standing over here?

Dan: I'm waiting for someone.

Casey: Me too.

Dan: Anyone I know?

Casey: Could be. You?

Dan: I wish.

Casey opens his mouth to reply, but he sees Dana out of the corner of his eye. She is wearing a Santa hat and handing out her candy canes. She looks so beautiful and happy.

Casey: Look, I'll see ya later. I've got to. Uh.

Dan smiles. He saw Dana as well, and knew what Casey meant.

Dan: Go on. Have fun.

Casey: Thanks. (pats Dan on the back) Good luck.

Casey takes off toward Dana.

Dan stands watching for a moment, but he feels like he is the one being watched. He turns around and comes face-to-face with a woman he does not recognize. 'It's her.' He thinks.

Woman: Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to startle you.

Dan smiles, thinking she is too cute to be crazy.

Dan: It's all right. How are you doing?

Woman: Great, thank you. My name is Sheila.

Dan: Well, hello to you, Sheila. I'm Dan.

Woman (Sheila): Dan. That's funny. The guy I'm looking for is also named Dan. Daniel, my boyfriend.

Dan: I'm sorry, but we don't have anyone by that name on this floor.

Sheila: Are you sure?

Dan: Positive. Only one Dan on this floor, and you're looking at him.

Sheila: Damn. I thought I wrote down the wrong floor. See, Dan - my Dan - just transferred to New York from San Francisco. I was going to surprise him for Christmas. I suppose he missed all the presents I was sending him too.

Dan's eyebrows shot up.

Dan: What presents?

Sheila blushes.

Sheila: Oh, just nothing, really. Some silly stuff I thought would give him a kick. I wonder what happened to them.

Dan's head started to spin. He couldn't believe it. It was her, but it wasn't her. She hadn't been sending the gifts to him, she'd been sending them to her own boyfriend. He felt like such a fool.

Dan: Um, Sheila?

Sheila: Yeah?

Dan: Will you come with me?

Sheila: Why?

Dan: I need to show you something.

Sheila: Okay.

Dan takes Sheila by the hand and leads her though the crowd of spirited co-workers. He notices Jeremy shooting him a look as he passes by, but Dan holds up his hand to indicate that he has everything under control. Dan takes Sheila into his office where all the 'gifts' are stashed.

Dan: I think these belong to you.

Sheila looks mortified.

Sheila: Oh my.

Dan: It's okay. I didn't know that they weren't for me.

Sheila: I'm so sorry I had no idea. I'm rather embarrassed.

Dan: Me too. But hey, no harm done.

Sheila: You're kidding? Really?

Dan: Really.

Sheila: If I were you, I would be plenty mad right now.

Dan: Well, I'm not.

Sheila: You are very sweet, Dan.

Dan: Well-

Sheila: No I mean it, really. Thanks.

Dan: No problem.

Sheila looks at all the stuff in her hands, and then looks at Dan.

Sheila: Can ask you for another favor?

Dan: Oh, you need a bag? Let me see if there is one around here.

Dan looks around the office for a bag. Sheila looks around also. She closes the door and looks behind it. She spots a brown shopping bag- the one Casey originally had Dana's scarf in- and grabs it.

Sheila: Found it.

Dan: Great.

Suddenly, the light in the office goes dark.

Sheila: Now, would you try on all this stuff for me?

The sound of a whip cracking can be heard in the darkness.

Dan: (scared) Uhhnnngh. Ohhhh boy.