IF these walls could talk….

Title: If these Walls Could Talk
Author: Doc
Summary: Aftermath of 8X19. Told from the POV of Cristina/Owen's firehouse. (Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but go with it.)
Category: Angst, Vignette
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, Shonda does… I admire the acting skills of Sandra Oh and Kevin McKidd. Nothing but love for them!

A reference for the pic of the "archway" that this describes is here: .

I once stood in a small town before Seattle became great and big. I was built on solid frame of brick and mortar. Had to be solid and strong, being a firehouse. I once housed people who were ready for action, ready at the drop of a hat. To race into a burning building to save another life without giving it a second thought. Some would go to fight the blazing inferno and not return. It was sad, and it rarely happened, but they knew the fight. They knew that fight when they signed up for it.

You have to have adept planning to build a house. You have to make sure it's sturdy, have enough steel beams to hold the weight, and have the right type of roofing so nothing leaks. The architecture has to be precise, the builders, manufacturers of materials, and the engineers have to be all in sync, or the house crumbles. One bad wind storm and it's blown away.

I saw them waver and sway with the storm of their marriage. Not sure what's worse, them yelling so loud the picture frames on the walls shake, or them so silently brewing that you can hear the raccoons scurrying on the roof. The rising inferno of their indiscretions hit a boiling point last week.

Fire needs 3 things to survive. Heat. fuel, and oxygen. In a similar sense, so does love.

Heat- passion, intensity, understanding, and chemistry. That burning desire to rip each other's clothes off. (and make use of the fire pole that's in the living room. But that's another story entirely, and not mine to tell)

Fuel - You need the reason you are together to be clear and resolute. What brought you together and what keeps you together, and what will motivate you to keep moving forward together.

Air- In it's simplest form, it's oxygen. But without it, you'll die. You realize that you cannot live without that person in your life. Like air you breathe or food you eat. Without them, you are nothing.

Through these walls, in-between the kitchen and what they now call their bedroom (as it's all one space, you really can't get away from each other) there is an archway. The top of it is curved like a top of a cartoon heart. It's a coincidence, perhaps, but not with these two. It's all about hearts with Cristina Yang. Hearts are her thing, it's in her blood. Now that archway catches the moonlight in just the right direction, you can see the pain on her face. She cries every night without him. There is no less furniture or belongings aside from a few of his clothes missing, but his absence makes the house empty and barren. It makes her sobs echo loudly. I think that's worse than the yelling and the silence.

That archway is just the top of a heart, half of one. What she's feeling right now. She is missing the other half.

A fire can go two ways. It can spread and grow to unimaginable lengths. Or it can be snuffed out and stop as suddenly as it started. But the damage that it causes can never go away. Trees and grass burned from it's path can regrow, but it takes time. And there will always be a singed spot to be reminded.

Firemen are astounding people. They are like your armed forces and your police officers, and even your doctors. They fight for justice, life, and safety. They know what they signed up for. Just like in a marriage. You have to fight with all your might, and then sometimes you come out swinging, and sometimes you lose.

But sometimes, you find the fire once again within you, and instead of the path of destruction, it is a path of peace. Like a moth to a flame, you always flutter back to the one that matters most. And your love will be rekindled and spark ignited again.

They will find their way back. They better because the plants are dying. Owen was the only one remembering to water them. But then again, that's not my element of understanding.