Disclaimer

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Chris, Will, and Dave are standing in the corridor between the newsroom and the control room.

Chris: Season tickets for the Jets.

Will: The Giants.

Chris: The Jets.

Will: You shouldn't see the Jets because they are in the AFC.

Chris: The NFC has something to offer?

Will: More Super Bowl victories than the AFC.

Chris: What about Namath in Super Bowl III?

Dan walks by the trio as he carries a video tape in hand.

Dan: Hey guys.

Chris: Hey Dan. We were having a conversation.

Will: A discussion.

Dave: An argument.

Chris: And if you were looking for any ideas on a gift-

Will: Season tickets.

Chris: To see the Giants.

Will: Or the Jets.

Chris: (to Will) I thought you wanted to see the Giants.

Will: (to Chris) I thought you wanted to see the Jets.

Dave: If you like, I could bury these two next to Haffa.

Dan: That's nice guys... the gift idea.

Chris: Only if you were looking for some ideas.

Dan: Thanks.

Dan continues his walk and hides his annoyance over the "idea" of season tickets. As he rounds the corridor and heads toward the editing room, Dan passes by a number of staffers, including one wearing a Santa's hat. Dan charms everybody he passes with a warm greeting.

Tina Lake bumps into Dan.

Tina: Hey, Dan.

Dan: Good evening, Tina.

Tina: I really have to thank you for the music box.

Dan: Do you like it?

Tina: Yeah, it's beautiful.

Dan: Great. You're very much welcome.

Elliott calls for Tina at the end of the corridor.

Tina: I've got to go.

Dan: I've got some tape to cut.

Tina: Thanks so much again.

Dan watches Tina walk toward Elliott. He smiles, knowing his gift has made its recipient happy.

Dan continues his march. Once he reaches the editing room, Dan can't help but smile as he eyes JoAnne, the network's technical support supervisor and his girlfriend, as she hunkers down, with her sleeves pulled up, and repairs the editing machine.

Dan: Did you make sure the electrical device is unplugged before beginning work on it?

JoAnne stops her work, gets to her feet, and flashes Dan her trademark smile.

JoAnne: You mean the big wire thingy which goes into the wall?

Dan: It would be a real shame if anything tragic were to happen.

The two meet in the center of the room.

JoAnne: Name something tragic.

Dan: The room could catch on fire, and I wouldn't be able to edit my tape.

JoAnne rubs Dan's arm.

JoAnne: That would be tragic.

Dan: Yeah.

JoAnne: I'll be careful not to catch anything on fire.

JoAnne leans up and gives Dan a kiss on the cheek. Just when Dan thought his mood couldn't get any better, it did.

JoAnne: Too late.

Dan: Yeah.

JoAnne turns and focuses her attention on the broken machine.

JoAnne: If you guys took better care of the equipment, I wouldn't have to be fixing this every few weeks.

Dan: I suppose there would be no use for you here if we stopped breaking things.

JoAnne: I suppose. I should have this fixed within ten minutes.

Dan: Great.

Dan stands and watches JoAnne do her work.

JoAnne: Are you just going to watch me?

Dan: I can't think of anything better.

There is a knock on the door.

"Danny?"

Dan turns and spots Natalie in the doorway.

Dan: Yeah.

Natalie: Have you seen Dana?

Dan: She went to dinner with Casey.

Natalie: Yeah. They're not back, yet.

Dan: It's the holiday season. A majority of people are out shopping and dining.

Natalie: And the remaining minority still has work to do.

Dan: What do you need?

Natalie: We may need to do some more adjusting. We've got two games, each with a hat trick, and a third with Kovalchuk scoring two goals and two assists.

Dan holds up his video tape.

Dan: You're still going to need about fifteen seconds off this tape?

Natalie: Yeah. Plus were going to need to drop the elephants playing polo.

Dan: Not the elephants!

Natalie: Yes, the elephants.

Dan: But that's the lighthearted segment of the program. It's fun. It's good for children.

Natalie ignores Dan's plea.

Natalie: (to JoAnne) That's a gorgeous sweater you're wearing.

JoAnne: Thank you.

Dan: (to JoAnne) That's a gorgeous bracelet you're wearing.

Natalie: What bracelet?

JoAnne: The bracelet Danny gave me as a present.

Dan: The bracelet I don't see you wearing.

JoAnne: The bracelet which would be a safety hazard when working around moving machinery.

Dan: Oh. Okay. Great sweater, by the way.

JoAnne: I just received it as a present.

Dan: Oh. I didn't know it was a new sweater.

JoAnne: I'd certainly hope I wouldn't receive a used sweater.

Natalie: Drop the elephants, Danny. Plus, you still owe me ten bucks.

Natalie exits the room. Dan finds himself torn between the two women.

Dan: (to JoAnne) Uh... yeah... I'll be right back... hold on.

Dan sprints from the room to track down Natalie. He finds her inside the studio.

Dan: Natalie!

Natalie finishes giving orders to two people, and she begins to walk toward the control room.

Natalie: Yes, Danny?

Dan: The ten bucks were off the table.

Natalie: I took Portland and the points-

Dan: That was before Surrey got hurt.

Natalie: One man does not make the whole team. Ten bucks.

Dan: The injury cancels the bet. I wouldn't have bet against Portland if I knew Surrey was going to cut his hand peeling a grapefruit.

Natalie: Yeah, you placed all your faith in the hands of a man who doesn't even know how to handle a grapefruit knife. It's a shame, and a ten-dollar shame to boot.

Dan: Okay.

Natalie: Ten bucks.

The two stop outside of the control room. Dan reluctantly reaches into his pocket, pulls out a ten-dollar bill, and slaps it into Natalie's hand.

Natalie: Thank you very much.

Dan: But I'm keeping the elephants playing polo.

Natalie: Nope.

Dan: There's something else we can drop.

Natalie: Again, nope.

Dan: It's a funny segment.

Natalie: It's a segment created for the purpose of being dropped in the event something bigger occurs.

Dan: Two hat tricks, two goals and two assists.

Natalie: Bingo.

The two enter the control room.

Natalie: You can air the elephants tomorrow night. In fact, you can air them for the entire 60 minutes tomorrow night.

Dan: You're not here tomorrow night.

Natalie: That's right, baby.

The two exit the control room and head toward the newsroom.

Dan: What time is your scheduled flight?

Natalie: I'm scheduled to leave at 9:30 tomorrow night, and I'm taking the bus.

Dan: It would be quicker to fly.

Natalie: It's cheaper by bus.

Dan: You're taking a bus to your family in Ohio?

Natalie: It's an overnight trip, so I'll sleep along the way.

Dan: If you fly, you can sleep in your old bed tomorrow night.

Natalie: If you're willing to give me two-hundred extra dollars, then I'll fly. Actually, after the grapefruit incident, one-ninety.

Dan: I don't carry that amount of cash on me.

Natalie: Then that poses a problem.

Natalie and Dan enter the newsroom. Natalie stops Kim.

Natalie: Kim? Have you seen Dana?

Kim: I heard she went to dinner with Casey.

Natalie: Yeah. Thanks.

Dan continues to follow Natalie to the tape library.

Natalie: (to Dan) And Dana not being back here at work poses another problem.

Dan: Speaking of problems-

Natalie: You brought that situation upon yourself Danny.

Dan: I didn't volunteer to become a dream catcher and hear of everybody's wants this holiday season.

Natalie picks out a tape. Dan and Natalie head down the hall.

Natalie: It makes many wonder. If you are willing to hand out gifts to a select, less-well-known few-

Dan: That was a way to welcome-

Natalie: -then there may be expectations from those of us who have worked closely and developed personal relationships with you over the years.

Dan: I'm not playing Santa with everybody I come in contact.

Natalie: We never regarded you as a Santa impersonator.

Dan: Thank you.

Natalie: You're just our little dream catcher.

Natalie begins to leave Dan in her dust.

Dan: Hey... Natalie!

-----

Dana walks quickly with Casey in tow through the newsroom.

Dana looks embarrassed as she walks at her brisk pace. Casey is sympathetic to her embarrassing situation, but doesn't offer a word. As the two walk by a number of staffers and crew members, each one takes notice of Dana. It is neither her appearance nor her quickness which causes their curiosity. Some thing else is the cause of distraction; some thing being detected by another one of their senses.

Elliott manages to cut into Dana's path.

Elliott: Kovalchuk has four points through two periods.

Dana: Fine.

Even though Elliott is given a curt response and a quick brush by, he picks up on the distraction caused by Dana.

Elliott: What's that smell?

Casey: It's slush.

Even though the answer doesn't make sense, Elliott accepts Casey's answer as the truth.

-----

Dana hurries into her office, and Casey quickly follows. He closes the door to give themselves some privacy.

Casey: We could have gone back to my place. You could have showered and changed in to a fresh pair of clothes.

Dana: I'm sorry, honey. I just don't have time to go all the way back to your place and come all the way back here.

Natalie abruptly opens the door, and it stops once it hits Casey.

Natalie: Oh. Sorry, Casey. Dana?

Dana: (to Casey) And I'm sorry dinner didn't turn out as planned.

Casey: It's okay.

Natalie: What happened with dinner? And what's that smell?

Dana: We had to rush through dinner because we had to wait an abnormal amount of time just get our table. Suffice to say, things didn't turned out as planned.

Natalie: What? Didn't you two eat?

Dana: Yes, we did, but-

Natalie: No time for dessert?

Dana: We didn't want dessert.

Natalie: It has something to do with that smell.

Casey: It's slush.

Dana lets out an uncomfortable laugh.

Dana: That was an unfortunate incident.

Natalie: Dana-

Dana: Natalie, I need for you to do me a huge favor and get a hold of wardrobe.

Natalie: But that doesn't explain that smell.

Casey: It's slush.

Dana: Casey, it is not slush.

Natalie: It smells like the inside of a barn.

Dana: Close the door.

Natalie: Not without adequate ventilation.

Dana: You should be used to this. You grew up on a farm, Natalie.

Natalie: But stink is stink, and you stink.

Dana: Then please kindly leave.

Natalie: I'll close the door.

Natalie closes the door.

Casey: I'll run back to my place and get you some fresh clothes.

Natalie: Did you fall?

Dana: I slipped.

Casey: I helped her up.

Natalie: You fell down in a barn?

Dana: I slipped in the street.

Casey: She landed in some slush.

Dana: Casey! It was not slush!

Natalie: Then why-

Dana: On our way back from dinner - walking down the sidewalk - I spotted a charity with their bucket and a volunteer ringing a bell. The charity, mind you, was across the street. I decided I would run across the street and drop in a small donation.

Natalie: Even though you were running late?

Dana: Yes, even though I was running late. As I was crossing the street, this abomination... this hideous...

Casey: It was a horse and carriage.

Dana: Whatever. This horse and carriage cut in front of my path. I stopped. I let them pass. The carriage driver tipped his hat to me. Once my path was clear, I proceeded to cross-

Natalie: And you fell.

Dana: I slipped in something which could have only come from that beast.

Natalie: A boom-boom.

Dana shakes her head at the lack of sympathy she is receiving from Natalie.

Dana: Why, yes, Natalie. I slipped on a horse boom-boom. I got it on my coat, my slacks- (sniffs) I swear I had to have gotten some in my nose.

Natalie looks at Casey, and he quickly shakes his head, "no."

Dana: There has to be some serious health code violations going on there. And what's the deal with horse-and-carriage rides in the middle of winter?

Natalie: Plus, there's the possibility of the horses freezing to death.

Dana: Precisely. Those horses have no need to be out there this time of the year.

Casey: That horse was wearing a blanket and leg warmers.

Dana: Go ahead. Take their side, Casey.

Casey: I'm not taking sides. I'm just saying... I'm just... I was just an observer... and there to help Dana.

Dana: Your observations didn't prompt you to warn me to watch my step.

Casey: I wasn't watching for things like slush and the such. I was on the lookout for bigger things, like taxis and moving trucks.

Dana takes a deep breath and calms herself down.

Dana: I apologize Casey. I'm taking this out on you when I should be placing blame where it rightfully belongs.

Natalie: On the horse.

Dana: That abomination.

The door opens slightly as it is being knocked. Dan's head peeks inside.

Dan: Hey, guys. Natalie? I'm thinking we can condense-

Natalie: We're dropping the segment, Danny. That's final.

Dana: What segment?

Natalie: It's nothing.

Dan: What's that smell?

Dana: Get out!

Dan quickly escapes, and Natalie and Casey start to leave.

Dana: I'm sorry. Not you two.

Casey: Is it all right if I stick around tonight?

Dana's attitude perks up as she becomes smitten.

Dana: Tonight?

Casey: Yeah. I can hang out in the green room.

Dana: Sure... you can hang out in... in whatever room you choose.

Casey: Good. Great. Are you sure you don't need me to grab you a fresh pair of clothes?

Dana: You know... if Natalie was... is too busy...

Natalie stands back and watches the interaction and body language.

Dana: Natalie?

Natalie: Yeah?

Dana: If you're not too busy-

Natalie: You mean if I'm too busy to grab some clothes from wardrobe.

Casey: I'll just leave and come back with a fresh pair.

Dana: No, Casey. You don't have to leave.

Natalie becomes impatient with Dana's hesitation in orders.

Natalie: I'll check with wardrobe.

Casey: Okay.

Dana: Great.

Casey: I'll just hang out somewhere.

Dana: I'll just be hanging around.

Casey and Natalie leave the office. They walk in silence into the newsroom.

Natalie: Did you hear about Danny?

Casey: There's plenty I hear concerning Danny.

Natalie: He's been giving out presents. What gift do you want for the holidays?

Casey: Are you asking on behalf of Danny or are you buying?

Natalie: Just curious.

The two stop outside of Dan's office.

Casey: I was thinking of one of those PDA's-

Natalie looks over and spots Dan standing and reading something inside his office.

Natalie: Oh, little dream catcher? Casey wants a PDA!

Dan tosses his paper in disgust.