Cristina wandered the party at Joe's, her feet aching from the black heels she'd decided to don to match the dress that Meredith referred to as the 'dark and twisty dress', namely so for the soft black chiffon that twisted from a fitted boddess over her shoulders and came together behind her back, falling in a dark waterfall against her bare back.
Cristina preferred to call it the 'make him beg' dress out loud and the 'bring him back' dress in her head.
It had been three long weeks of sleeping on the couch, and living in complete silence for the two of them, and the first two she spent weeping silently on the couch like a 14 year old who's favorite boy band broke up.
The third week, she decided she was going to actively get him back.
Okay, leaving a note saying that she'd be at Joe's on New Year's Eve and he had better be there wasn't really actively trying.
The dress was actively trying.
For Cristina, anyway.
She stayed with Meredith most of the night, sipping at vodka infused drinks, and watching McDreamy trail his hands all over Meredith, nauseating her beyond the point of help.
But Burke.
Burke did not show, and so she was left sitting in the corner, alone in a horribly decorated bar with horrible music, feeling like the girl who didn't have a date for prom.
"Cristina, there are a ton of other guys running around here..." Izzie was practically yelling at her, "You can kiss one of them at midnight! Burke's an ass, remember??"
Cristina shook her head, looking the other way as Izzie drunkenly fell back into Alex's arms and crossed to the other side of the bar.
Her eyes trailed up to the ceiling, plastic glittering plates and shiny streamers hanging over her, and her thoughts faded away to him, and the way his eyes used to shine with love for her.
Now they were dulled by anger, betrayal.
She tried hard to shove the thoughts from her mind and her hand came to rest on the frost covered glass containing the temporary antidote for her worries, for ache that filled her body.
She pushed the glass away and her hands fell to her lap.
She'd rather feel the pain, feel the guilt for what she'd done to anger him, and maybe through that bleak feeling, she'd find the way to make it better.
Her hand fell to her cell phone and she dialed in the number to their apartment, then put the phone to her ear, the rings practically screaming at her that he wouldn't answer the phone.
She closed it to see that it was 11:58 and the time was nearing that she'd be standing alone in a room full of idiots kissing each other and spreading their germs.
"Mere, I'm going to go..."
"It's not midnight yet, Yang!" McDreamy called at her back, "Party pooper, just like that boyfriend of yours."
She turned back to face the two, wrapped in each other and secretly wished that she could be that wrapped up in Burke as easily as it came to Meredith with McDreamy.
"Guys!! Guys! It's time to count down!" Joe announced to his bar, turning up the TV to show the same boring replay of the lit up mess of wires and bulbs dropping across the country, and Cristina's eyes were drawn to it, even the couples on the TV facing each other, poised to lock at the lips.
As if on cue, the occupants of Joe's began to count down.
"Ten..."
His fingers slid over her bear shoulders, softly, purposely, forming a tight grasp on her and spinning her around in one fluid motion to face him.
Their eyes met instantly, and the world faded away around them.
"Nine.."
"Cristina..." he mumbled quietly, brushing a strand of hair from her face, then trailing his hand down her cheek, tipping her jaw up.
"Eight..."
"Burke.." she exhaled lightly, her hands sliding up behind his arms, pulling herself closer to him. The jacket of his suit crisp under her fingers.
"Seven..."
"You came.." she whispered, tears once again stinging at her eyes for what made too many times on the year, and she quickly silently resolved never to cry next year to make up for this year of weakness.
"Six..."
He dabbed at the tears in the corner of her eyes, clearing his throat, unable to believe or comprehend the amount of pain that he had caused her, as he'd been wallowing in the misery that he came to believe that she had caused him.
The thing was though, the misery was greater whenever he was trying to ignore her.
"Five..."
"I came." he repeated low, "I came for you." he dropped a hand to reach in his pocket to pull a velvet box from it, and placed it in her hand.
"Four.."
Time slowed as Cristina opened the box and found a simple band inlayed with diamonds inside of it, "But...we've been fighting." she protested, her heart swelling in her chest at the same time.
"And we've been miserable."
"Three.."
She pulled the ring from the box, and slid it onto her left finger, never breaking her gaze from his eyes, "This is what you want? This is what I have to do for you to forgive me?"
"I've already forgiven you. This is what will make me the happiest man in the world."
"Two..."
She let the box fall to the ground, the ring in place on her finger and snaked her arms around his shoulders, pulling him to her, "Then you don't even have to ask, because the answer is yes."
"One.."
"Say it." he mumbled low, his lips gently brushing hers for a mere second.
Her eyes smiled at him, and she didn't even have to ask what he wanted to hear, she'd avoided saying it out loud for much too long, "I love you, Preston Burke."
"Happy New Years!!"
Their lips found each other again in a series of kisses, the first one soft, sweet, then progressing into a longer, more hungry kiss, his hands wandering down her bared back, sending shivers down her spine under his touch.
And finally a passionate kiss, their hands coming to rest, their bodies pressed hard against one and other, holding each other as if they would never let go.
Neither would ever let the other go ever again.
Indeed, it did seem that it would be a Happy New Year after all.
A/N: Basically, I just wrote this so it takes place as if 3.09 happened a couple weeks ago or something. :) So Grey's time is real time and not weirdo Shonda time. Enjoy.