Author's Note: REVIEWS: I LOVE THEM. Even if it's just a quick heads-up to let me know you're reading this, it'll make me happy. :)

You are the most competitive, most guarded, most stubborn, most challenging person I have ever met! And I love you.

Preston Burke

They stayed speechless, Burke uncertain of what he could say, Cristina uncertain of what she should say.

He started to say her name, "Cris-"

She dove towards the end of his bed, finally breaking their eye contact, and grabbed his chart. "Bailey, uh, Bailey says you have a mass on your heart?"

She knew what he was doing. She knew exactly what she was doing. He was about to say her name in that deep-toned, thick, simultaneously emotive and knowing way that he always had, the way that had always, always, made her melt in some tiny, closed-off part of her. Cristina Yang didn't melt for anyone. Or, at least, Cristina Yang didn't let anyone, including herself, know if she melted. But if she didn't acknowledge it now, there's a chance it could happen again, so damnit, the way he said her name made her melt.

She didn't yet know if it would still make her melt as it had all those years ago. And she didn't want to find out. So she had pulled another of her typical moves: When in doubt, dive for the chart.

Although he was upset that he'd been cut-off, Burke couldn't help but smile when he saw her rummaging through the chart. Typical Cristina, he remembered. Should have known.

"Yes," he said, slowly.

"Okay, I'm going to order a chest MRI, and if those rule out certain possibilities, we'll do an angiogram." She started to head toward the door.

He looked at her, slightly laughing in disbelief. He knew getting her to talk would be hard, but he thought he'd have a longer chance than this.

"Uh, Cristi-"

"Not now," she said more sharply than she had intended, and she had intended it to be pretty sharp to begin with. She stayed not looking at him when she spoke, body and head turned toward the wall.

He resigned. She needed a little time. He had learned the hard way to not push it too much when she needed time.

"Okay."

She went to leave, and as she was halfway through the door, he half-yelled, "Cristina!"

She stayed turned away, but stayed where she was, mid-step, implying that she was listening.

"It's good to see you again."

She let another second pass after he spoke, then she left, shutting the door behind her.

"You paged me?"

"Come with me."

Much like Bailey had done this morning, Cristina looked like she was on a wild goose chase with the pace at which she was moving. Once at the closest supplies closet, she opened the door, dragged her companion inside with her, and shut and lock the door.

"What the hell is going on, Cristina?"

"Mer, I don't know what to do. I don't know... I don't know what I'm going to do."

"What? About what?"

"Burke is here."

"What?"

"Burke is here."

"Just, here? Did he just show up?"

"No, he's a patient. He has a mass on his heart."

"Seriously?"

"Meredith, how many times do I have to say it? We're not interns anymore. You've got to stop saying that all the time!" Cristina said, more angrily than she had intended to say it (and again, she had intended it to be pretty angry).

"Sorry."

"I just... this is..."

"I know."

"I haven't seen him for over a decade! Since..."

"Yeah, I know."

"I just... why did he have to come here?"

"Well, I already know one reason that I know you are dying to say."

"What?"

Meredith put her hand on her hip and gave her a "come on now, you know what it is" look.

"Okay, yeah, I'm the best cardiothoracic surgeon in the country."

"Of course, there's probably more to it why he's here."

"What? No. Why should there be more to it? I'm the best cardiothoracic surgeon in the country, that's more than enough," Cristina said with the hint of a cocky smile at the end.

This time, Meredith's look was of the "I am not amused" family.

"No, really though, there's no other reason why he'd come."

"You don't know that."

"He was the one who left me, Mer."

"That doesn't mean things haven't changed."

"Well, if things changed, why didn't he say anything earlier?"

"I don't know, I'm not Burke."

"And anyway, even if things have changed, I want nothing to do with it. It's beyond too late. If "late" is in Seattle, then he's on fucking Neptune, that's how far past late he is."

"Okay, listen. I don't know why he's here. Maybe he just wants to clear the air. Maybe he just wants to... I don't know. But the fact remains that he has a mass on his heart and is probably going to need surgery, and I know you don't believe it or won't let yourself believe it, but at a time, he loved you. And I know you won't admit it, or won't let yourself admit it, but at a time you loved him too."

Cristina dipped her head to the side and looked at the ground.

"So just do the medicine like you always do, and when it comes to the rest of it... just do whatever feels right. Okay?" she said, gripping Cristina's shoulders.

"Yeah."

With that, Meredith left her friend to her thoughts.

tbc!