21
"Hey Preston, don't make an old man run after you!" Marlowe tried to catch Burke down the hallway.

"Since when are we on first name basis?"

"Young man, we need to talk," Marlowe pleaded.

"There's nothing WE should talk about," Burke chided.

"You know I'm married?" Marlowe asked matter-of-factly.

"I don't have to know," Burke didn't appear interested, even though the words were sinking in.

"No wonder Cristina fell for you," Marlowe broke into a nervous laugh. "You're just as stubborn as she is."

To that Burke's ears twitched. "Excuse me?"

"Let me repeat this. I'm married. You have to know it, because it means I'm not trying to win Cristina back. I was only messing with her. One day when you're 60, you'll understand the desire to compete with a younger man for the affection of a woman you couldn't get," Marlowe reminisced the past.

"Not if I'm married to someone I love," Disbelief was written across Burke's face. "I'm sorry for your wife."

"Godd!" Marlowe smiled sheepishly. "I mean, that's why you need to help me."

"What?"

"We're sort of in a fight—"

"You came here to wreck my relationship, why should I care if you wreck your own?" Burke scorned.

"No, my wife wants you and Cristina to make up," Marlowe said.

Burke frowned, feeling betrayed that their problems were brought to the attention of no other people than Marlowe and his wife.

"Is that a problem?" Marlowe was confused.

"Cristina opened up and told you about our problems right away," Burke began talking to himself, ignoring Marlowe.

Amused by the younger surgeon's sensitivity, Marlowe exclaimed, "Stop being sensitive like a woman! Cristina didn't tell me. Anyone who saw her could tell something's wrong."

Burke remained silent.

Marlowe squint his eyes and wondered, "I'm sure it boosts your ego when you realize you've such power over her. I wish I knew how to upset her as much as you did."

"You're sick," Burke uttered. "Why would I want to upset someone I love?"

"Exactly! Why would you, huh?" Marlowe nodded slowly, encouraging Burke to respond.

"It wasn't my intention," Burke lowered his head.

"She's just a girl. She has feelings too," For the first time, Marlowe showed his protective, almost fatherly side as he talked about his favorite student. "Talk to her."

22
"Cristina, wake up," Meredith gave her best friend a nudge.

"Mmmm… You snored. Now let me sleep," In her half-conscious mind, Cristina was wondering why she was with Meredith.

Rubbing her eyes as she went to hug her boyfriend, Meredith said, "She doesn't want to wake up."

"Cristina, Burke is coming to pick you up," Derek was hoping he could take over the bed again soon.

The alert was more effective than coffee. Without delay, Cristina opened her eyes in bewilderment. "What?"

"I called him," Derek responded matter-of-factly.

Cristina sprang up and looked around.

"He isn't here yet," Derek added.

"I'm leaving," Cristina told Meredith in a hasty voice.

Cristina was Meredith's friend, but so was Burke to Derek. Being the first to know about the engagement, Derek felt obliged to smooth the kinks. Besides, another night of sleeping on the couch, listening to Meredith's roommates engaging in hypersexual behavior wasn't that exciting. "Preston's worried about you."

The desire to flee the scene was building up as Cristina blurted out, "I'll see him at the hospital."

"Why are you always running away from him?" Derek inquired.

Shifting her focus from Derek to Meredith, Cristina's eyes were clouded with the fog of confusion, "I don't know."

"Wait, Cristina. Remember you were so excited to find out I wasn't dead?" Meredith walked over to her friend.

"Of course. You're my person."

Meredith bit her nails and continued, "Well, it wasn't just that. You're glad I wasn't dead because you couldn't wait to tell me Burke proposed; and what does that mean?"

"What does it mean?" Cristina repeated the question.

"That you're thrilled! It means you want Burke; you want the engagement or marriage or whatever. Right, Cristina?"

Cristina's lips parted but again she wasn't sure about the answer.

"If this is a surgery, your patient would have died many times by the time you make up your mind," Meredith kept talking in a way so unique that Derek couldn't quite comprehend.

Cristina exclaimed with a stubborn frown, "Didn't I already make up my mind? I've been sticking! You know that, Mer. I've done almost everything I could. I've said yes! Why can't he see that?"

Just then, Burke was leaning by the door with his arms crossed.

23
"Let's go home," Burke took Cristina's jacket off the hook and held it open for her.

Looking at him with some doubt, Cristina eventually accepted his invitation by slipping into her leather jacket. Quickly running her fingers through her curls, Cristina pulled up her collar.

Without saying another word to her, Burke held her hand in his and said to Derek, "Thank you."

Derek lifted the corner of his mouth and his eyes shimmered as he watched Cristina and Burke slowly went out of sight.

"They're gonna make it, right?" Meredith asked quietly as Derek gave her a kiss on the forehead.

The short ride back to Burke's apartment was spent in silence. Cristina couldn't tell how he was feeling and how much he heard at Meredith's place.

When they finally got to the doorsteps of the building, Burke held the glass door, not only for Cristina, but also a blind lady who was slowly arriving from the corner of the street.

Those little things. They were so ingrained in Burke's behavior repertoire and so familiar to Cristina that she was suddenly overcome with a rush of appreciation and joy. Preston Burke was a good man.

If only she could describe this to Burke; if only he could believe he's the only one who made Cristina felt that way.

"Would you like some coffee?" Burke asked politely as they entered the apartment.

Stunned by the mild aloofness in his voice, Cristina nodded. Still worrying Burke would soon go into a tirade or challenge her with another round of questions, Cristina swiftly walked into the bathroom and locked the door.

Looking into the mirror, Cristina splashed some water on her face. The reflection in the mirror was a woman whose confidence in the decision she made was plummeting; it wasn't someone Cristina would want to look up to, either as a surgeon or a woman.

Burke should have gone back to the hospital to prepare for the interview for Chief. Instead, he waited patiently as the sound of running water continued in the bathroom. When Cristina finally stepped out, her hair soaking wet, Burke told her, "Breakfast's ready. I've to go."

Cristina said in a timid voice, "It's today, the interview is today, right?"

"Yeah."

"Ok," That's the most she could do as the supportive girlfriend, Cristina thought as she toyed with her pancake alone.

24
"What are you going to do now?" Meredith touched Cristina with her elbow as they hid in the basement again.

"You should worry about Barbie and Bambi before you worry about me," Cristina snapped. "Seriously, something is very wrong when the on-call room is locked twice. Twice already today!"

"It wasn't that wrong when you and Burke were in it," Meredith smirked.

Cristina let out another sigh. "Why can't life be less complicated?"

"Because you can't sleep in the on-call room forever," Meredith blushed slightly. "Besides, Derek and I are living together now."

"You make it sound like you've never lived with a boyfriend before," Cristina said evenly.

"You make it sound like Burke isn't the first one you move in with," Meredith teased her friend.

"In general, I don't believe in living together," Cristina cut her off.

Patting the back of Cristina's hand, Meredith said thoughtfully, "But you moved in with Burke."

"So?"

"So your 'be kind, rewind' plan is not going to work. Burke is the guy who asked you to move in with him, who wants to marry you, who's looking ahead!"

"But I screwed up. Marlowe popped up and now Burke thinks I'm placating him," Cristina pouted.

"Isn't that true? I mean, the more important question is why did you placate him? Is it for your career or something else?" Meredith's near-death experience had suddenly turned her into a much more systematic thinker.

"I don't know," Cristina slowly spilled out her answer.

Meredith tightened her brows a bit and shook her head, "Men like Burke can't handle ambiguity very well."

"Don't you think I know that? He wants me to open up, right? So I talked like a maniac yesterday. God, I tried so hard to explain myself but he just wouldn't listen."

"Derek is no better. He keeps asking if I'm Ok," Meredith rolled her eyes. "And today he's been bugging me all day about Sloan's evil plan to use me."

"What's wrong with these men? They're more insecure than women," Cristina threw her hands up to the back of her head.

"Do you think it has to do with the interview?" Meredith asked.

As the two friends parted and moved on with their patients, Cristina caught herself constantly looking at her watch impatiently, so much so that it frightened the diabetic guy even more when he learned that his leg had to be amputated.

25
"Good afternoon, everyone. I—" Burke stopped as he saw Derek entering the empty conference room.

"You're using PowerPoint," Derek was mildly amused.

"I like to look professional," Burke narrowed his eyes and put on a confident smile.

Leaning against the wall snugly, Derek smiled back, "I hope one of us can beat Colin Marlowe and his tweaks."

Merely hearing that name made Burke shrug nervously before he said, "Definitely."

"Have you talked to Cristina?" Derek looked at Burke steadily and when the latter didn't reply, Derek continued, "I don't want to sleep on the couch again tonight."

"You're trying to distract me. Is that your tactic to win the game?" Burke rubbed his neck and squint his eyes.

Derek shot him a pathetic smile. "On the contrary. I'm trying to learn from you—How not to get distracted when Sloan is using Meredith."

Both men shook their heads and sighed. Having a girlfriend who was each other's person had surely created something common in Burke's and Derek's life—trouble.

"Focus on your 10-year-plan, Derek. You've got to beat them," Burke wiped his glasses and said calmly.

"Preston, what's your 10-year-plan?" Derek inquired, not expecting Burke to actually answer it.

Burke raised his brows and touched his nose briefly before he said, "It's in my head, but I can't figure out the steps to reach that goal."

"I don't think that's what the board wants to hear," Derek responded.

"That's why I told you to beat them. I'll try my best, but that's the most I can do for now," Burke adjusted his tie.

Derek's shoulders stiffened when he heard what Burke said, "You mean you don't want to be Chief anymore? Richard picked you. You know you're going to be Chief."

"I want to be someone whom others can look up to, I want them to know that I'm becoming a better person each day," Burke put on his jacket. "But whether I become Chief is up to them."

When Burke was about to step out of the room, he looked back and asked randomly, "I have Cristina in my 10-year-plan. Am I thinking too far ahead?"

"No," The answer jumped out automatically as Derek thought about Meredith.

Anyone could see the flame burning bright in Burke's eyes, but it was a steady flame. For a moment, it made Derek want to quit the game, "Good luck."

"Thanks," Burke grabbed his presentation notes and left the room.

26
As Cristina was rounding the corner, she caught a glimpse of Burke in his black suit.

She could feel her heart beating faster. How would Burke look in a tux? Cristina couldn't believe that was the first thought that came to mind and she quickly shook it off by galloping towards him.

"The Chief chose you. You were supposed to be Chief," Her long and delicate fingers that were brushing across the bottom of Burke's jacket were almost unnoticeable, Cristina said in a stubborn voice.

Consumed by the look of determination on Cristina's face, Burke stared at her without speaking.

It's something very untypical of her but Cristina almost couldn't curb the impulse to adjust Burke's tie-- had her fingers traveled just a few inches up.

"I am a different man now. I don't want to go back to where I was," Burke's words came out so forcefully and effortlessly that they arrested Cristina's thought.

"Right," There was nothing more to say.

"Dr. Burke?" The board secretary greeted him with a sunny smile.

Cristina looked at Burke long and hard, wished him luck in silence even though she knew he didn't need that.

"Yang, enough of fiancé-gazing. This man here doesn't have a lot of time before you need to amputate another limp," Bailey caught her intern standing in a stupor near the conference room.

"Yes, Dr. Bailey," Cristina responded absent-mindedly.

"Those fools are making 10-year-plans for the hospital," Bailey spoke in the direction of the contenders for Chief. "They probably don't even know what they want 10 days from now."

Cristina frowned as they walked down the hallway, "10-year-plan?"

"The kind of thing you should worry about when you have a husband and a son like I do, not when you're running for Chief," Bailey smirked. "Do YOU have a plan?"

Cristina looked down at the chart and said, "Well, I'll have completed my residency and fellowship—"

"No, your plan to start a family," Bailey interrupted her.

"Oh," Cristina stuttered a little. "I, well, good question. I am, uh, busy, too busy, right now."

"I said it once and I'm gonna say it again. Preston Burke is a good man. He'll make a good husband and a good father," Bailey said. "And, he won't let you off the hook easy."

"Right," Cristina nodded.

"You need to look ahead. Make plans for yourself, for the two of you. When you don't have a plan of your own, how do you know if you really want it?"
Cristina let the information sink in before posing a question that sounded dumb even to herself, "What if I already know?"

"Where's my feisty intern who always gets what she wants?" Bailey shook her head disapprovingly. "Let him know! Men, they are slow. If you don't tell them what you want, and tell them clearly and repeatedly, they will think that you don't mean it."

"So, Dr. Bailey, did you have a big wedding?" The question cropped up before Cristina completely digested what Bailey just said.

Scanned her intern from head to toe, Bailey pretended to be stern, "You're switching topics. Is that something I need to share with my intern?"

"Well, no," Cristina sounded discouraged.

Basking in pride, Bailey glanced at Cristina and said, "It was huge and fancy, exactly what I imagined since I was a little girl."

Surprise tainted Cristina's face as they scrubbed in.

"Now show me what you can do with this man's leg," Bailey commanded, "And if you tell another living soul about what I said, you're out of my 'right-now' plan indefinitely. Understand?"

Cristina blinked and whispered, "Yes."

27
The place was unusually quiet for a Thursday evening, but it served the purpose as a good hideaway. Raising his towel from the tall glass he was drying, Joe the bartender greeted one of his favorite patrons, "What's up, Sunshine?"

"I need something warm and strong. It's freezing out there," Cristina shivered as she settled down on the stool.

"I thought that's why you doctors are not coming here lately. Because of the cold?" Joe smiled as he poured Cristina a glass of bourbon.

Shrugging lightly, Cristina laid her lazy eyes on the glass and said, "We're busy. You know, interns have crazy schedules."

"Especially when you're getting married at the same time," Alex pulled up a chair and sat next to Cristina.

Cristina was too tired to fight back. Her head was resting on the counter sideway, her fingers fiddling with her glass.

Joe was happy to see another familiar face. "Hey Alex, anything new with Jane Doe?"

The blush on Alex's face entered Cristina's eyes. "Seriously, tell me you won't become the he-Izzie."

"I think Alex is just trying to be a caring doctor to a woman who has no one to go home with. Right, my boy?" Joe said in a cheery voice.

Alex took a sip of his beer and smiled slyly.

"Speaking of home, have you and Dr. Burke started looking for a house yet? It's a good year. Mortgage has been fairly low," Joe said.

"Why? I'm comfortable with my current living situation," The confusion in Cristina's eyes was amusing to both men around her.

"Yang, you're getting married. Things are about to change," Alex raised his brows. "Didn't you think about these when you said yes?"

"Alex is right, Sunshine. There's gonna be a lot of planning involved," Joe added.

Wrapping her fingers around her glass nervously, Cristina mumbled, "I don't even want to think about the wedding."

"Having cold-feet again?" Alex smirked.

"What do you mean," Cristina's body jerked in defense. "Again?"

"It's that indecisiveness written across your face. Burke's a sensitive guy. If I were him I'd find that look very troubling."

Cristina's shoulders dropped. Everyone knew there wasn't much room left for Burke to be troubled before he bowed out of it, "I am ready. Very ready. In fact I'm going home now to tell him my plans."

All three of them were surprised. The words came out so naturally that even someone as skeptical as Alex was becoming convinced that Cristina was ready.

"You'll be a beautiful bride, Sunshine," Joe put on a dreamy face.

"Whatever," Cristina tied her hood and retreated to the cold Seattle night.

"Do you think her plan involves wearing her running shoes under the fluffy white dress?" Alex and Joe looked at each other and laughed.

28
It wasn't a very smart idea to ride the motorcycle against the winter chill. But as Cristina repeated the phrase "I am ready" to herself for the ten thousandth time, the familiar apartment block finally came into sight.

In a matter of ninety seconds, Cristina had parked her motorcycle and ran up the stairs to her home. Catching her breath from her minor work-out and the chill, Cristina didn't allow any hesitation to overtake her.

If something had to be done, she'd better get it done quick and clean like Bailey's flawless intubation.

Pushing her way through the living room into their bedroom, Cristina swiftly kicked her jacket and boots off.

"Hey," Cristina was greeted with a mystical yet inviting stare from Burke. Ignoring how Burke typically disliked it when she jumped into bed without washing her hands or feet first, Cristina squeezed into her designated space on the mattress.

The urgency in Cristina's manner was in odd juxtaposition to the calmness in Burke, who slowly glanced up and put away his book. When her tiny icy feet began brushing on top of his, instead of jerking away, Burke's heart skipped a beat and soon he began to grin.

"It has to be small… City Hall…Meredith… no mosquito net…"

Words were spinning off Cristina's mouth. There's something eerie about her voice, as if she's a child begging to be taken to Disney. It's so unlike the Cristina he knew, although it didn't come as shocking as the first time she called him honey in public. There's something very womanly about her speech, even though it's presented in the form of unceasing demands about the wedding.

"Cristina," Burke leaned forward and caressed her chin, trying to stop her from talking with a kiss.

"Wait, I haven't finished," Cristina was mildly startled before she went on and on.

None of that matter. The whole point was that Cristina Yang, of all women Burke knew, was initiating a conversation about the wedding!

As the arm that fell on Cristina's shoulders held a firmer grip, Burke found his eyes glued to the look of a stubborn child, who was snuggling against him, making him proud of his manhood. It was hard to explain how good it felt to be observing Cristina's lips danced along with that twinkle in her eyes.

When Cristina was finally done with her proposal about the wedding, Burke nearly forgot that 24 hours ago they weren't talking to one another.
"Ok, what do you think?" Cristina caught her breath and asked with a penetrating gaze.

"Alright," Without saying another word, Burke found his lips landing on Cristina's neck while their legs intertwined.

Of course, nobody should forget that Cristina wasn't easy, for although she allowed their feet to remain intimate, immediately Cristina held her hand over Burke's face and said, "That's it? You only think it's alright?"

Removing her hand from his lips and covering it with another soul-captivating kiss, Burke rested Cristina's head on his chest and explained, "I'd love to see my bride walking down the church aisle covered with petals of pink roses, but if a smaller wedding is what you want…"

"Right…" Cristina's voice trailed off as her fingers stroked his tummy.

"Cristina, are you sure you're ready?" Burke muscles tensed up a bit, even though he was much more certain about Cristina's answer now than a day ago.

Cristina looked up at him and thought hard before answering. "Babe, I can't do this whole self-disclosure thing all the time; and there'll always be things from the past that I've never told you about."

Burke's gaze on her remained steady and focused, encouraging her to continue.

"But I know what I want now. I really do, even when I say I don't know sometimes," Cristina paused, "And you, you'll be there to remind me, right?"

A soft smile overtook them as Burke tightly wrapped his warm large hand around Cristina's.

It wasn't one of those wild nights filled with incessant movement in bed, but none of them was in a hurry, for they knew the soothing presence of each other was what would keep them together as they continued their life's journey in unison.

THE END