A/N: Hi, this is my take on how I would like to see Cristina leave. English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes.
This fanfic is dedicated to one of my favorite people - happy birthday!
Disclaimer: I don't own GA, Cristina or Owen - if I did I would for sure have changed or not written a lot of the storylines in the last couple of seasons.
It was her going away party, all her friends who had become her family and a lot of her collegues she didn't care about were there. But he wasn't here. She had tried to call him earlier, but it had went straight to voicemail. She knew he was upset, the last time they had talked were the day she had told him she had gotten an amazing job opportunity and would be leaving in three weeks. He had signed her papers, told her they would talk later and left the room. He had been avoiding her ever since.
It had taken them awhile to be in the "friend"-zone with each other, but they had slowly beginning to go there in the last couple of months. She knew she would always love him and he would always love her, but it wasn't something they ever mentioned. But they could go out and have a good time and laugh together with the rest of the gorup now without it being weird or awkward.
She had been drinking a bit, not too much, because she was leaving in the morning. She was dancing with Callie and Meredith who were both drunk and child free for the night, when she felt him staring, she knew him well enough to know when he was there. She continued to dance, to give him the chance to come to her, apologize for what a big jerk he had been, so they at least were talking and not hating each other when she left. When she turned around some few minutes later he was gone. She looked around and saw he was heading for the elevator. Excusing herself she ran after him and just as the doors were closing she jumped in and hit the stop button leaving them between two floors. He was quiet, his back to her and she was starting to get more than pissed off with him for ignoring her.
"Owen, this is rediculous! Look at me!", she placed her hand and on his arm and turned him around to face her. She was ready to start yelling at him and give him a piece of her mind. But when he looked at her she saw his eyes were red and his cheeks were wet. He had been crying. "Owen...".
"I'm fine," he cut her off.
"No, you are not fine, talk to me."
"How can I talk to you? You are leaving."
"Is this what's it all about? Me leaving?"
"Five years, Cristina! I have loved you for five years! I know this is an amazing opportunity and to be honest you would be stupid not to take it. But you leaving me... again...", she looked at him in chock. He wiped away his tears. "And I'm proud of you, more than you can imagine. I know this will be your big break. I know this will earn you a Harper Avery. You wnna know why I have avoided you? I had decided to let you go! Even though the thought of losing you is killing me. I know we are not together anymore, but the thought of not seeing you every day, is killing me. Knowing that nothing can ever happen between us again, is killing me. Cristina, you will always be the love of my life, you will always be the only woman I have ever truly loved, you will always be the only person I really feel like I'm myself with. I was willing to give it all up... for you." They had both tears streaming down their faces. "I'm sorry I can't be happy for you or being the supportive husband or whatever right now, because it's taking everything in me not to stop you from leaving me all over again. I just... I don't know what to do.", he sighed, running his hands over his wet face.
She had been quiet. Tears streaming down her face. She didn't know what to say. He had been so honest about his feelings. He had referred himself as her husband. "Owen, I love you too. This is a huge opportunity... this is something very few surgeons get offered. I know if I didn't take it it was something I would regret for the rest of my life. But I need you - I need you on my side, I need to know I did the right thing... I need to know you won't hate me."
He nodded to his shoes, "I could never hate you...", he mumbled. She closed the distance between them and put both her hands on his cheeks. "Owen...", he finally looked her in the eyes again. "this is not forever.". Starring at each other, the gap between them closed as they both leaned in. The kiss started out slow, but quickly turned more passionate. She pulled away and took his hand, pressed the stop button once again. And then lead him to their old on-call room and where they quickly started to undress each other.
She woke up in his arms some few hours later. Snuggled a little bit closer to him for a bit. She made sure he was sleeping like a rock before she got up and started to put her dress back on. She bend down and kissed him, "This is not the end, Owen, I will be back", she whispered.
A/N2: This is probably the only way I can accept Cristina leaving. Leave it open for her and Owen, let her leave on good terms with Owen. Let her leave to do something huge, but not let her get a job at just another hospital like in season 9.
If you guys liked this and there's any interest, then I might write another chapter with her return. I have some few ideas. But I don't promise anything.