A/N This comes directly after my story Transatlantic Phone Calls and whilst the general gist is that Meredith, Cristina and Alex have been in regular contact over the years since Cristina left it might make more sense to read it first.
We break off from Canon at the end of Season 13 – assume Meghan is still in a staging hospital and is yet to make it to Seattle. Also with thanks to a guest reviewer on an earlier story who referenced the "De Luca debacle" I liked the phrase and have used it here!
The doors of the Grand Salon of the New Orleans Hilton opened with a slight creak late Wednesday afternoon and the sounds of a room of people springing back into life rose like a wave. Individuals started to leave the room whilst larger groups moved more reluctantly; phone numbers being swopped, hands being shaken and promises to keep in touch being made.
Cristina Yang, hair styled and dressed in a dark, sharply cut suit found it harder than others to leave the room than many. With almost every step she was greeted and congratulated by people keen to meet her. Her hand was shaken vigorously and one person slapped her firmly on the shoulder before rethinking when faced with a glare. By the time she had gotten to the door to the entrance to the foyer she was carrying any number of sheets of paper – resumes and papers for review. A patiently waiting surgeon from Savannah was disappointed when she abruptly excused herself and ploughed through the slowly dispersing crowds. Many of those same crowds, the great and the good in cardiothoracic surgery, were surprised to see their keynote speaker all but run into the arms of the waiting Meredith Grey, dressed in casual trousers and a hoodie, and the two women hug, laughing and talking quickly whilst jumping up and down in apparent glee.
"What are you doing here. I thought we were meeting at the hotel?" she eventually asked,
"And miss your moment? Not likely. I crept in at the back to listen. You were amazing Cristina. Not just the content and the research but the way that you held that audience. You were flawless."
Cristina smiled,
"I know right? That was so much fun. One of these things every six months or so; almost as good as surgery."
Meredith laughed at her friend,
"So, I thought I'd go sit in the bar and wait for you to finish meeting your subjects. Sound like a plan? How long do you think all the ass kissing will take?"
She looked at her watch,
"I can't imagine it being long. Most people are leaving tonight, and they've put coaches on to the airport leaving over the next forty-five minutes or so. Will you be okay on your own?"
Meredith gave a slightly cynical laugh and Cristina looked momentarily uncomfortable at her choice of words,
"I've brought a book. Not a journal you understand, nor is it a picture book or early reader chapter story. I'm going to sit at bar and drink a glass of wine with my book in the middle of the day confident I'm not going to be disturbed by anyone who wants to go to the bathroom. I will be more than okay on my own."
Smiling despite herself Cristina nodded and turned back into the thinning crowd.
Just under an hour later, Cristina hopped onto the bar stool next to Meredith, pointing at her almost empty glass she asked,
"You want another one or shall we stroll back to the hotel?"
"If you don't mind let's head back. I came straight from dropping my stuff and I could really do with a shower. Besides compared to your sartorial elegance I look a wreck."
"Cool. I took my bags over this morning so I'm good to go."
The two friends strolled gently in the late dappled sunlight,
"Mer?"
"Yes"
"Where's Karev? Did he decide not to come?"
"What? No! I'm guessing he's back at the hotel by now. He said he was sore. He was in the OR most of yesterday afternoon and evening and he said between that and the flight he needed to go for a run."
"Karev runs?"
"Yes, always has. He eats like a pig – I'm not sure he knows what salad is; he'd be huge if he didn't do something. Although to be honest I think he just wanted to give us some time alone."
"That seems unusually sensitive."
"Come on. You know he's not the awful idiot we first met."
"Of course he isn't but at this point I don't know how not to insult him. I think we'd both find it confusing and uncomfortable if I stopped."
The two friends smiled comfortably as they crossed and turned up Canal Street enjoying the simple pleasure of being together.
"Do you know I'm not sure the last time I was out in daylight and not rushing somewhere or lugging at least one child with me."
"Well you're the one who picked one of the hardest jobs in the world and then went and had three kids."
"And I wouldn't swop any of it."
"Really?"
"No. I can't not work. I mean, I needed the time after Derek died when I was pregnant with Ellis and I'll always be grateful for it but earlier this year, when I was suspended I thought I was ready to die of boredom. And I wouldn't be without any of the kids, even if right now I'm liking the idea of a couple of nights away."
"What about research. You were doing such interesting research during residency."
"And I will again. But right now, I'm in surgery pretty much every day, I run my department so I get to do things my way and we innovate where it's sensible. If you'd have asked me in our first weeks of intern life how that sounded less than 15 years later I would have told you it sounded like a dream. The research it will come, either when the right question asks itself, or when the kids are older, and I go find it."
"That all sounds very zen."
"Hey I've been in therapy! I am zen." Meredith through her head back and laughed as they waited for the elevator, "I am however pretty sure I also stink. Shall we say cocktails at 7, dinner at 8? That should get us the club you wanted for the 11 o clock show right?"
"Done. See you later." And Cristina stepped out of the elevator pleased at how easy and natural their reunion and conversation had been.
It was just after seven when Cristina arrived at the restaurant on the ground floor. Looking round she was surprised to see Meredith and Alex already at the bar, stools pulled closely together and a third standing off to the right and claimed by Meredith's purse which she held firmly down in place. She stood for a moment and watched her friends. Meredith head tilted slightly up held Alex' gaze and she appeared to be talking whilst he, a patented Karev quarter smile on his lips and was firmly shaking his head. A slightly bemused barman watched them. Cristina walked over, undeniably happy to see them both,
"What's she trying to talk you into Karev?"
"A cocktail," he turned to her, "I just want a beer."
"But we're on holiday." Cristina instinctively supported her friend as they exchanged amused glances.
"I knew this was a bad idea. Coming away with you two." His tone did not match his words and Meredith rolled her eyes,
"Alex is currently in training for a grumpy old man. He graduates any day now." She teased.
"So, you aren't trying to persuade me to get one of only two tequila based cocktails on the menu so that you can get the other one, then try mine, steal it and finish it? You'll have two drinks and I'll end up with nothing." He turned to the barman, "I would like a Wiseacre please and to save us all, she'll have the cocktail that comes with the sunglasses," he managed to both raise an eyebrow sardonically and looked down at the menu at the same time, "a sunset in the courtyard."
"Maybe I wanted the other one. The bilquis blessing?" Meredith complained,
"Then maybe you'll get that next time." His tone was full on sarcastic, "Or just order now and stack them?" He turned to Cristina who had been enjoying watching the show, and handed her the menu, "Come on Yang, pick otherwise you're playing catchup."
Conversation flowed easily as the three chatted through their drinks and their starters. As the server cleared their plates Meredith excused herself,
"I'm just going to ring home and say goodnight to the kids. I'll be back before the food comes." Alex slipped out of his seat to let her step by.
"Does she do that when she's in surgery?" asked Cristina
"If she's in work she tries to speak to the older two at some point between the end of their school and kindey days and bedtime. Ellis is still at the hospital daycare. We all try and go up at some point during the day."
"You all go, you make it sound like a cult." She laughed although not maliciously.
Alex looked at her suddenly more serious,
"Do you not remember what she and Shepherd were like when they had Zola and then the little guy. They'd be up and down there every chance they got. It's not Ellis' fault she's number three and her dad's not about any more."
"I didn't mean anything by it." Cristina felt vaguely chastised. Alex tilted his head slightly,
"I know. Look my parents were pretty crappy to me, can you imagine how uninterested they were in my sister by the time she showed up! Dropping by for a couple of minutes in the day is no big deal."
Cristina looked towards the door where she could see Meredith on ion the street, phone to her ear,
"How is she really doing?"
"Shouldn't you ask her?"
"I will, but its always helpful to get more than one perspective."
"Cristina Yang asks for a second opinion! Intern me would never have believed it."
"Don't make me regret it!"
"Alright. Short answer I think quietly relieved she doesn't have Riggs breathing down her neck wanting more than she's ready to give. Long answer; feeling all sorts of complicated things about the fact he's got a second chance with his first love when she knows she'll never get that. But," Alex held his hand out in a conciliatory gesture, "before you despair about all the things that typically happen with Mer's feeling complicated and conflicted, she's okay. She's certainly not doing the nutty cleaning thing which I don't think anyone could handle again. She isn't doing the bars and inappropriate men thing. Worst scenario I see is that she'll find herself an impossible case and throw herself into making it possible."
Cristina looked at him, intrigued by his thoughts,
"So have you spoken to her on this?"
"The long answer, no. All my assumptions are based on what she's not said. And you know what they say about assumptions. I could be a million miles off." He paused, deciding whether to say more, when he felt a sharp rap on his ankle, "Ow!"
"She's coming back." In a louder voice, "All done and sent to bed?"
Meredith smiled,
"Almost. Although Zola is very cross we haven't sent any photos yet." She passed her phone to Alex, Bailey wants to know if he can have a quick word before bed."
Alex took the phone and slipped back out of the booth heading away without another word to his two friends although they heard him as he walked away,
"What's up buddy?"
Cristina watched him walk away, a pensive look on her face,
"Is he very involved?"
"Involved in what?" Cristina pierced her with a knowing look and Meredith faltered slightly under the gaze, "The kids? Everyone pitches in so yes and he's pretty good with Bailey especially."
"What will you do when he moves out?"
"Moves out where?" Meredith sounded surprised.
"When he goes back to Jo Wilson, or finds someone else. Or in fact realises he's the head of paediatric surgery at a renowned hospital and maybe shouldn't be living in his friend's spare room like a college student."
"I'm not sure any of those things are on the cards right now," Meredith was calm, "and if they are then we figure it out. Kids are adaptable, and I talked to them when Amelia bounced in and out and when Alex has in the past. Don't worry my kids are as mentally well-adjusted as they can be. Considering."
Cristina looked at the serious set of her friends face and decided to let the subject drop,
"Okay then. How are you really?"
"About Nathan? I told you on the phone kind of relieved. He's a good guy, the sex was great but I'm not sure that's enough to pull him into my kids' lives."
Cristina nodded, biting her tongue to avoid highlighting the difference between Meredith's last two statements. Meredith paused a moment and then continued,
"He needed to go back to her. It was the right thing to do. In a strange way for me as much as for him. If I got another chance with Derek I'd have grabbed hold so hard and so tight." She sniffed slightly, "if he hadn't gone I'd have been even more pissed that he got the chance and I never will."
Cristina nodded supportively thinking how close to the truth Alex had been in his assumptions. He re-joined the table taking in the solemn mood. He dropped the phone gently in front of Meredith and gave her arm a quick squeeze and a questioning glance as he slotted back in to his seat. She shook her head quickly in a move that did not go unnoticed by Cristina.
The server arrived with the entrees and conversation bubbled up again, purposefully light as the three friends teased and laughed together.
"Is there anything anyone wants to actually do tomorrow?" Cristina asked as she tucked into her fish
"Sleep until I wake up." Alex was vehement and drew smiles from the other two, "I know it might be a waste of a great city but I have a sleep debt I want to pay."
"I'm happy to wander enjoying having no real purpose tomorrow. So long as I get to be outside and take some photos for the kids then I will have had a good day…although I do hear the pharmacy museum is good."
Alex reached over to Meredith's plate and picked at some of her confit garlic off the side. She mocked glared and pointedly reached over to his plate spearing a piece of watermelon. Cristina spoke,
"I guess I should be thankful you don't want to go to the museum of death? You would have once upon a time."
"Nah, I looked. It's all serial killer stuff. The pharmacy one has got surgical instruments from the 19th century. Much cooler. But before you've gone soft I do think a tour of one of the cemeteries could be interesting too." Alex rolled his eyes, "People will expect us to have done some touristy things. I mean have you ever actually been on vacation before?"
"So long as you don't want to go on an open top bus then I'll do the museum and tour with you. I don't think either of us are really open top bus people."
"You really aren't." Alex was in agreement. He reached across the table and tapped Meredith on her hand to get her attention, "they do however have a ferry boat. If you wanted to, take some time."
She smiled gratefully, "Did you look that up?"
"No." he admitted, "It's in the pack of papers Maggie printed off and shoved in your bag. I went through them on the plane while you slept."
"The head of cardio had time to play tour guide?" Cristina was confused,
"No, my sister is trying to make amends for being, well, difficult about Nathan. My sister is, even after losing her mother, undeniably upbeat about life generally and is very excited to a) have the children almost to herself for the weekend and b) see me going and doing something for me."
"Sounds perky." Cristina did not sound approving and Alex smirked,
"She can be. But not totally annoying. She hit a homophobe and she is loud, loud, loud in the bedroom!"
"You slept with her sister?" Cristina was louder than she had intended, she lowered her voice and corrected herself, "you slept with another one of her sisters?"
Meredith let out a rare peal of laughter as Alex shook his head furiously looking vaguely nauseous. She smiled again and decided to help out,
"Oh no. But anyone who's shared a house with Maggie when she's getting it on knows that she is not shy. She's been having a dry spell but before that I had to ask her to keep it down with Zo started asking questions."
Not for the first time that night Cristina decided to leave a topic well alone,
"Shall we get the check then?"
It was nearly four hours later that the three returned to the hotel. They were merry if not drunk and bickering about the music they'd been listening to as they clambered into the elevators,
"I'm just saying it's not dancing music." Meredith complained,
"It's not supposed to be. It's skilful and haunting and different every time." Cristina had been a fan of the second set of music they'd listened to.
"You said we could go dancing."
"And so we shall, tomorrow night."
"I said I was not dancing. No dancing"
"You're boring."
The light flipped to the second floor and the elevator pinged,
"Come on you," Alex encouraged, pointing Meredith gently towards the corridor, "second floor. This is our stop. Night Yang."
"Night Cristina see you at breakfast." Meredith confirmed as she left the lift and strolled down the corridor rooting in her purse for a keycard.
Alex nodded a goodnight and Cristina muttered a response as she held the doors open watching Alex pick up pace to catch up with Meredith, her eyes questioning. She cursed under her breath as they turned a corner out of sight and denying her curiosity. She withdrew her arm and hit the forth floor button.