Fanfiction: In the Light of the Day

Title: In the Light of the Day

Pairing: Cristina/Owen

Summary: 7.09 extended scene

The light of day slowly invaded their apartment. Owen should have been back to the hospital, but he had already called that he won't be coming at work that day, unless there was major trauma. He had to be with Cristina all day today. After what happened the night before, he just couldn't leave her alone.

He wasn't upset about anything: not the bartending, not the drinking, not even the lap dancing. He was just worried about her, more worried than usual. It just pained him seeing her so out of herself, so lost and he felt that he wasn't doing enough to help her by just being there for her every step of the way. But what more he could do?

There was a time when he felt that lost too and Cristina has been the one who stood by his side during the hardest moments. She didn't pressure, she didn't make any reproach, she was there for him and helped him see the light. And though he was doing the same thing for her now, he still felt that it wasn't enough, that he should have done more.

He had spent the last two hours on the bathroom floor, holding her hair. Her head was heavy and everything was spinning around her. She knew she had to take a shower to remove all the smell of alcohol and vomit that had impregnated in her hair and her skin. But she couldn't. She couldn't even pick herself up from the bathroom floor. Everything was blurry and everything was spinning around her. A second later she just felt herself picked up by two strong arms, then each of her clothing articles was being removed. She heard the water shower being turned on.

"Can you stand?" Owen asked her.

"I think so", Cristina heard herself responding.

But it seemed that Owen wasn't too convinced or he didn't want her to make too much effort because once again she was picked up and the next thing she felt was the warm water spraying across her body. She could stand on her feet now and saw Owen removing the wild curls that were covering her face. Her whole body started trembling and tears gathered in her eyes and then running down her face. The next second Owen was stepping fully clothed into the shower with her and holding her tiny body tightly against his to warm her up. Her body started to relax. Owen's embrace was the most comforting thing she ever felt. She could feel with every sense of her body how much he loved her and how much he wanted to help her. They've stayed like that for a few more minutes. The trembling had finally stopped. Patiently, Owen washed her body and then her hair so that every last scent of alcohol was removed from her skin and her thick curls. She was already starting to feel better. He dried her hair and then wrapped her in a large towel and carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed.

"I am so sorry…", Cristina started. But her phrase was interrupted by Owen's index finger on her lips.

"We can talk tomorrow. Now you need to rest", he gently said.

He pulled out a clean T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from a drawer and put them on Cristina. He covered her with the blanket placing a kiss on her forehead and then closed the blinds from the windows.

He was about to go to the living room and leave Cristina to rest, but he heard her voice calling him:

"Owen!"

"Do you need something? Some water?" Owen asked.

"No, I want you to stay with me. Please!" she pleaded.

He laid beside her on the bed wrapping a hand around her waist and kissing her hair. It smelled like lavender. Soon he felt her drifting in a deep sleep. He kept holding her close to his body and a thousand thoughts invaded his mind. What he could do? What was the next step? He kept beating himself up for not doing enough for her. But he knew he would do anything for her and would stay through it all. He just had to take it one step at a time.

Hours later, Cristina was woken up by the smell of fresh coffee. Owen was in the living room working on his laptop.

"Hey!"

"Hey! How are you feeling?" Owen worriedly asked.

"Better now. Thought my head still hurts a bit", Cristina responded.

"I'll get you some aspirin." He closed his laptop and headed toward the bathroom. Seconds later he came back with 2 pills and a glass of water. He hands the pills to Cristina, she puts them in her mouth and swallows them with a few sips of water.

"Thank you! I want to apologize for last night, for the drinking and I am sure I did something else, but I don't remember what. I know I passed out at some point and I woke up at home and next thing I was on the bathroom floor puking all out of me. What the hell did I do last night at Joe's?" Cristina asked confused.

"Beside the fact that you've made the weirdest drink mix I've ever seen and you drank that, you also gave a lap dance to some random guy from a bachelor party." Owen explained to her. But there wasn't any anger in his voice, no judging, but on the contrary, he said at all with a humorous tone.

"Oh God! I did that? I am so so sorry Owen! I was drunk, I didn't know what I was doing!" she said apologetically.

"I know you didn't mean that! But I am worried about you. It pains me to see you like this. You know I don't want to pressure you in any way, but when you feel you can talk I am here for you. I am always here for you. I love you so much and I would do anything to take the pain that you are feeling away." Owen said the words looking lovingly at his wife. She was the most precious thing he had.

"I know that! I know you are here for me. And I want to talk, but I don't even know where to start. It's like I am here and I am not at the same time. And I know I am scared every time I come near the hospital. It's organic that fear. I feel it in every bone of my body. I know every one wants me to come back there, but I cannot. Every bit of rush I was feeling when I was in an OR before has been replaced with fear. I don't know what I am supposed to do, I know I don't want to go back there. It's the place where I saw you getting shot in front of me. Each time I go near that place I see that image of you getting shot. I cannot get it out of my head. I have this constant fear that I might loose you! How can I go back there?" Her voice was trembling and tears invaded her eyes again. Only Owen could her feel this way.

She was sitting on the edge of their bed. He knelt down in front of her and took one hand in his and with the other erased her tears.

"Cristina, I am OK! I am here with you and I promised I will never leave again. You don't have to be afraid of that. I know how it is to have those horrifying images in your head most of the time, I have been there! There were moments when those images were all I could see. Constantly. But I came back, because of you. I know you can too. I'll be here every step of the way. For whatever you need!"

"I know you are. And I do want to tell you what I am feeling. It's just hard sometimes" she said apologetically.

He didn't say anything, he just took her in his arms assuring her once again that he didn't want to pressure her in any way. But she already knew that.

Minutes later Owen broke from their embrace:

"How about breakfast? Anything you want!" he asked giving her a light kiss on the lips.

"Well, since you said "anything", I have to really think about it. I don't want to waste the opportunity."

"Just take your time. I am always here!" Owen reassured her giving her other kiss.