A/N: I love grey's anatomy for developing friendships the way they do. I feel like we seldom see friendships like Alex and Meredith, or Meredith and Cristina, at least not the same way Grey's portrays them. But come on. You know Mer and Cristina were always just a little bit gay for each other. (And yes, that is an "I can Go the Distance" reference!)

Season 10 finale spoilers. Slight AU.

Summary: Where does the good go?

It was like a fever dream, their goodbye, excruciating, unreal, but the only way through.

"We have to dance it out," Cristina said, "That's how we finish."

The surgeons whirled around each other, feeling so young again. This was the next beginning, and Meredith could not wait to see how far her person went; something told her Hercules had nothing on the cardio god. She gripped her best friend's hand and spun her around and around, until Cristina switched her grasp and spun her out into a dip, before picking her up again. They jumped, shimmied, did all the weird moves they watched Zola do, when they were drunk and Meredith's daughter ran around way passed her bedtime entertaining them.

Meredith had never felt love like this. The bubbling laughter coming from Cristina's lips revealed the same sentiment.

When the song came to an end, they were breathing heavy, a mixture of exertion and choked back tears.

"I gotta go," Cristina breathed. Meredith managed a small smile, nodding in confirmation. "You stay here, okay?"

She nodded again. "Okay."

Cristina turned towards the door, strides less-than-confident, less-than-ready. Shrugging her purse onto her shoulder, she turned back again.

"You are a gifted surgeon with an extraordinary mind."

Meredith kept her face neutral, taking a step closer.

"Don't let what he wants eclipse what you need."

Another step.

"He's very dreamy. But he is not the sun."

One more, the distance closed. Cristina's breath smelled like strawberry toothpaste – in all their years together, she never got over her distain of mint. Meredith lifted a hand to her best friend's, her person's, her soul mate's cheek, thumbing away the tears that Cristina had tried not to let spill over.

"You are."

They had joked about it before, of course. Cristina leaned in first. Meredith met her halfway, hand still on that soft skin. It wasn't like they had ever imagined. Cristina could see how Derek could've become so infatuated in this woman. Her stomach clenched with the fear of goodbye. Meredith simply breathed soft across the kiss, hand on the back of Cristina's neck now as they both tried to explain all the love they felt with just a touch. It wasn't easy to translate, but they had to try.

Sometimes words just weren't enough.

When they broke apart, Meredith was the first to laugh. "I'd always wondered what that would feel like." Cristina reached her own hand up, mirroring the soft caress she felt on her face. Meredith leaned into her touch.

"Ready?" the general surgeon asked, blinking back more tears.

"No," Cristina murmured.

"I know." Her voice was thick with the pain.

"But it's time," Cristina said, nodding her head once.

"I know," she repeated, "I love you."

They dropped their hands, and she took a step back. Cristina put her hand on the door, opening it slowly, eyes never leaving her best friend, her person, her soul mate.

"Remember all the things I told you. You better not like Maggie Pierce more than me. I'll call you tomorrow. Oh, and. I love you, too."

The on-call room door closed between them.

Meredith told Derek when he walked through their bedroom door. He laughed and sat down, the mattress swaying her already dizzy vision as she stared down at the townhouse papers.

"I always knew that would happen," he chuckled, "But don't think about running away to join her. Now, did you sign those papers? I need them on the plane by 7."

Meredith looked at him, heart sinking, as she opened her mouth to tell him she had to stay in Seattle.