AU: You can't be perfect according to life; to balance out greatness you have to have a major defect. / Cristina is probably about to be the best figure skater in modern times, so, rightfully, her personal life is going downhill.

They won again.

Preston Burke and Cristina Yang were a force to be reckoned with.

4 years ago, after their first gold win in the Olympics, they asked him what was the secret of their success.

"I am Preston Burke," He began his speech. He has the right to be arrogant, nothing compares to him. "I am winner by nature, I've come here with sweat and hard work. But what separates us from other couples is our chemistry, which is why-" He got down on one knee and pulled out a box, Cristina would have fled if it was someone else but... she was in love. "Cristina Yang, will you marry me?"

The cameras flashed as she put on the ring; the next days they were object of multiple clickbait articles around the universe of Facebook homepages.

They were a force to be reckoned with.

Meredith watched on the side as another fight burst, they pretend this is about the skating not them; they didn't talk anymore, they didn't reconcile, they just stuck together.

She will never be what he wants, the only fantasy of him she fulfills is the one where she is on ice.

"I know you have the papers," She says one night after they dinner in silence. She knows him too well. She gets a pen out of her pocket. "I'll sign them."

He doesn't try to deny it, he just stares at her. "Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent."

He goes to their bedroom and comes back with a file. She doesn't look back when she brands their ending. This is the right thing.

"Speaking as your coach, not your friend," Meredith states," It's going to be hard, you two were practically a sporting brand; but you are great, I know it, so I have no doubt you will make it to the top. It's your turn to fly solo."

Cristina nods as she ties her skates.

"But as your friend..." She pauses and hugs her. "He sucks and you deserve better."

She snorts and pats Mer's back. "I know."

"I know you know," She squeezes her tighter. "George quit, he's with Burke now, so I need a new assistant."

"We'll find one," She assures her. "Now, teach me what you've got." She grabs Meredith's hand and together they skate into the rink.

This is her first solo win and people only care about the past. Meredith has to step up and get her away from the reporters.

She should be happy but instead she is crying in Meredith's car holding a bouquet of roses that will surely wither in a few days.

"How did you do it?" She asks her.

"I didn't, I avoided questions and sadly took advantage of my mother's illness before everything hit rock bottom." Meredith sighed. "You just have to pull trough." Meredith grabbed Burke's congratulatory roses and threw them out the window.

Meredith was a prodigy, is a prodigy. Daughter of Ellis Grey; greatest figure skater to live, it's only natural her daughter is great.

She also got the dark and twisty gen passed onto her, because you can't be perfect according to life; to balance out greatness you have to have a major defect; in Ellis's case was being an awful mother, in Meredith's case it was never making the right decision.

Which is why with only 28 years she is stuck coaching Cristina instead of joining the podium with her.

After adding another problem into her daddy issues list, Meredith had the incredible idea of drinking herself into stupidity and had a short-lived affair with one of the judges of the Olympics that only lasted one night; the scandal blew up and before she could get banned by the International Skating Union she decided to step down to take care of her Mother as she had gotten diagnosed with Alzheimer.

What a life.

Cristina stared down at her plate, then looked at Alex's, she pointed at it and exclaimed, "This doesn't make sense."

"Well, it does make sense to you, because it's what you need," Alex pointed out.

"I thought you were nutritionist, I doubt that you need eggs with extra bacon." She stabbed her veggie omelet with her fork.

"Yeah, but I'm not doing the same diet as you."

"So, you call that a diet?"

"Yes," He exclaimed begrudgingly, "and I doubt you want to hear about it."

"You're right, I don't."

Suddenly she saw a blond make her way from the bathroom to Alex's bedroom.

She frowned. "What is she doing here again?"

He shrugged.

Cristina stared at him.

"Okay, alright! She just got laid off her job and now she can't afford rent."

"So, you're playing charity with Barbie over there? Do you even like her?!"

Alex stayed silent. Cristina opened her mouth slowly. "Oh, you do."

"Yeah, well, it's whatever." Alex stood up from the table. "Just keep your mouth shut or I'll make you run twenty instead of ten."

"Hey did you hear?!" Cristina shouted at Meredith. "Evil Spawn is in lo-"

Alex frowned as he blew his whistle loudly. "Drop and give me 20."

Cristina rolled her eyes and got on the floor.

"Is my hearing alright?" Meredith asked mockingly as he approached him.

"She's just being annoying," Alex assured.

Cristina stuck her tongue out. "No, I'm not, she's with blondie."

"Her name is Izzie, okay? And we're not together."

"Yet," Meredith says with a cheeky smile.

"Do you want to join Cristina on the floor too?" Alex warned.

"Hey, you're Cristina's trainer, not mine."

"And nutritionist, and roommate, " Alex added. "She just can't get enough of me." He winked at Cristina and she made a noise of disgust.

"You're not entering this house without any information," Meredith warns him. "Traitor."

"So, you invited me over just to bully me? I even bought a gift."

Meredith sighs. "I try hard to hate you but I can't." She opens the door fully and hugs him.

"Burke's not coming, by the way," George informs her quietly.

"Thank god," She whispers back.

George went over to Alex and Cristina and gave them his housewarming gift.

"You may be a traitor," Alex said, Cristina nodded, "but you're a great gift giver."

Thank god for Tequila, greatest gift of the century.

"Do you want a shot?" George offers Meredith.

"No thanks, I'm driving." She waves her keys in the air.

"You? Refusing booze? That's a new one."

"Well, I have to be the one take care of Cristina, not the other way around."

George focused his view on Cristina and Alex who were having a drinking competition. His eyes widened when she realized who the blonde girl was next to Alex. "Izzie?!"

She turned her head to the sound of the voice. "George?!" She exclaimed happily. "What are you doing here?!"

"What are you doing here?!" He squints while putting the puzzle pieces together. "Wait a second... This is the Alex you're seeing?"

Izzie nods with a big smile

"Oh god." George suddenly gets filled with worry for her best friend.

It's been four hour and Meredith hasn't appeared.

Cristina skates in circles for what seems an eternity. She knows she can't be alone for much longer or she'll begin overthinking, she thinks this is one of the reasons she moved in with Karev even though she had everything to live alone.

So, she skates, and skates, otherwise she'll go crazy.

Her phone rings and she has never reached it so fast before.

She reaches the brink of insanity.

A/N: Yes, Meredith is extra dark and twisty in this; yes, she is older than Cristina; and yes, Cristina was 20 when she got married, (now 24). Don't question me but an athlete's life moves faster since they have to retire so soon, at least that's my point of view. (Ok, maybe I'm just reaching).

Also, I don't really know what I'm doing, don't expect this to be great or to be updated regularly, it might be 3 chapters long or 30 chapters long, who knows? I know I don't.