This could not be real... she had rocked her solo surgery.... her very first solo surgery.... and she was not feeling high... it was unfair! She should be dancing at Joe's with Meredith, getting completely drunk... and then she should scratch the old itch with Owen, whether he wanted or not. That was the way she had imagined the aftermath of her first solo flight. But for the first time in her life she understood Owen, when he said that surgery and competition was not everything; even Burke had once said that he was a person first, and then he was a surgeon.

Today, Cristina did not feel like a Surgeon; her day had been haunted by her friends. By Izzie being sick, by Alex not knowing about Izzie, and about to hit the ground... and crap, it was not nice being human. How had she come to care about this people so much! It was so much easier to be detached, not to feel about to cry for a bubbly, silly Izzie that used to get on her nerves. This was supposed to be a great day for her, and she didn't care. She wanted to go home, go to sleep and wake up a week ago not knowing about Izzie... if she could, she would erase the last week, and come back to a life where Izzie would still be getting on her nerves with her smile. Even if that meant no solo surgery.

But enough! The only possible way out was forward. So, she stood up, removed her scrubs and got under the shower. For a while, she stood there, feeling the hot water on her face hoping it would rinse the pain. Not moving, not thinking, just feeling... the hot water on her facer would allow her to pretend she had not cried, that the soreness in her eyes was just consequence of the water....

It was late when she left the building. She was leaving alone, since Meredith was going to stay with Izzie a little longer, Alex had conveniently disappeared, O'Malley was hiding in a corner, and Callie was on call for the night. Owen had been on call the previous night, so he had probably left the premises hours ago. She had not seen him after her surgery. Things had developed so fast that she had not had the time to look for him, and now she regretted it. She could indeed have used his broad shoulders. Maybe it was better so. She did not like being weak, and exactly as she could see him, he could see through her. He could tell when she was feeling low. Funny for a guy she hadn't even "had" YET. And the morning conversation with Meredith brought to her face the only semi-smile of the day. Thinking about Owen improved her mood. He had stood by her, even from afar. At first she had been a little pissed when she had not been selected to scrub in the face transplant. She had known Sloan would not select her for his... but Owen selecting Alex again had not made her happy... until she heard Bailey's news, of course. Then she understood that he had not selected her because she had something much better in her plate. They had briefly crossed on the corridor when he was going to the OR with the patient and Karev... and he had looked in her eyes, smiled and silently transmitted his pride to her... and she had understood, and felt warm inside. For a moment in her OR, she had felt disappointed thinking that he was not there to see her. And then, right after telling Alex Bailey about Izzie, already with the scalpel in her hand, she had looked up, to the gallery and had seen him there, standing up in the shadow, looking intensely at her, a proud look and a half a smile on his face. Of course, he had not heard from the Gallery the bomb she had thrown to Alex and Bailey, but he was there for her. He had imperceptibly nodded at her, her eyes had lit up, and she had made the first incision.

Still semi-smiling and with her mind wandering she arrived to her door, to find Owen sitting on her step.... again. But this time in the dark and hidden by a shadow. He looked up at her, and smiled; without moving. "Hi" she said "I thought you had left hours ago, how long have you be sitting here?" He took a second to answer the question, wondering if she would consider him crazy... "Just a couple of hours" and hold her gaze.

God, it was freezing cold, and his buttocks should be numb already from sitting on the stone.... better stop thinking about his buttocks Cristina!!!! So, instead of making any comment about his cold parts, she extended her hand, to help him get up "You should come in; my neighbors are beginning to think you are a stalker...." He did take her hand, but just to caress her palm with his thumb, and, instead of getting up, he attracted her to her lap. "You were amazing today... and I do not just mean the solo surgery" he said in a low whisper by her ear. She involuntary flinched and smiled as his beard tickled the back of her neck. He could not help laughing at her movement. She did relax on his body, and leaned against him, her head resting in the comfortable point where his shoulder and his neck met, his lips by her temple... weird as it was to be sitting like a couple of teenagers at her doorstep, afraid of the parents at home. "I think we should go up to my place" she insisted......

"I am not sure to be able to control myself if we go up Cristina... you are too tempting...." and still holding her in his arms, his fingers intertwined with hers he continued. "I heard about Stevens today, and just wanted to hold you for a while...thought you might be in need of a hug. I wouldn't want you to think that I came here with sex in mind, specially after the day you've had". For a moment they rested like that; and then Cristina, slowly turned in his ams to bury her face on his neck, feeling a deep knot in her chest, that nearly brought tears to her eyes....he was definitely too good and caring for her,incredibly sweet under the rough surface... and then she whispered against his ear. "You know, it is quite insulting that you came here WITHOUT sex in mind.... specially since I have it in mine...."

"Cristina...." he said with a nervous laugh

"Owen...." she answered changing position in his lap to put her forehead against his and her arms around his neck, with a wicked smile. And then he couldn't hold it any longer. He had to kiss her.

It was not a desperate kiss, like the one at Joes. It was passionate, but tender at the same time, charged with all the feelings accumulated in the last months. And then he surprised her... with a swift movement, he passed his arm under her knees and stood up. with her in his arms... without placing his hands anywhere for support! "Amazing legs" she thought with a smile, looking into his deep blue eyes. As he had done when he had found her with the icicle she brought her inside, up to her apartment. And for a moment, she felt better, knowing that Owen would be there to support her whenever she fell.