A/N: Well I have to thank you all once again for being so very nice reviewing. Before you read this chapter I need you to please try to find the song The City Lights by Umbrellas (it's not on youtube… I already checked). I want you to listen to this song while you're reading the part when we get back to the office because if I owned this characters, which I obviously don't since I'm not the devil (Shonda The Devil / Ruler of all that is evil), this would be the song I'd put in the background. I hope you enjoy this next chapter because I really worked hard on it and, as always, if you think something doesn't fits let me know.

VII. Propelled by Fear

"I guess that we could start getting ready since we're all awake." Alex says taking a glass of orange juice that's on the table.

"I agree" Says Meredith.

"Hey that was mine!" Izzie says looking at her now empty glass of juice. "I'll go first" And starts walking towards the stairs.

"Please Iz try not to take 5 hours like the last time. If I recall correctly I was late thanks to you" Alex says half yelling.

"Alex you're always late. Don't blame Izzie."

"Whatever." Alex says opening the fridge. "Damn, the brownies are gone."

"They weren't for you anyways. Hey why did you leave the chapel in such a hurry yesterday?"

"It was nothing." He closes the fridge "How are you and Shepard doing?"

"Don't really in the mood to talk about that."

"Wow you're not in the mood to talk about yourself? Or Shepard? Is that bad?"

"Shut up Alex."

"Well good luck with that. I'm gonna go upstairs and tell Izzie to move her butt" He says turning around and walking out of the kitchen.

Meredith reads the note Cristina left for her one more time. P.S. Thanks for… you know… thanks.

It was nothing.

Back at Chief Webber's office (turn on your iTunes)

"What, Sir?" She must have misunderstood what he said.

"I said turn around Yang; he's standing right behind you." Cristina freezes. She can feel how every single muscle in her body stiffens up. The hardest piece of metal would pale in comparison of how hard her body felt right now. She had entered the Chief's office so fast she hadn't noticed how his scent invaded every corner of the now so very small room.

"I did call you" She hears his voice coming from behind but she doesn't turn around to look at him. She does not move. She can't. She wants to. She wants to run out of that sudden confinement. But there's nothing she can do about it besides fight like hell not to fall apart. The back of the chair is about to turn into dust from the pressure her hands are putting upon it.

"Cristina" Her name slowly slides out of his lips in a whisper that in its travel from his mouth to her ears becomes a sword going through her whole being. A sword going deep into her, twisting and turning. Breathe. She says to herself trying to maintain everything under control. It's in vain. Everything's spinning out of control and she can't do anything to stop it. She looks down to her legs, and for a second thinks there might be an earthquake but rapidly looks up and sees Chief Webber calmly seated in his chair so that couldn't be it. Maybe a more appropriate guess would be to think that her legs are the only things quaking in that room.

The silence is deteriorated by someone's pager going off. She can't take her hands away from the chair to see if it's hers. It's the chief's. He starts to stand up from his chair and makes his way to the door.

"Where are you going, sir?" Cristina asks, panic overflowing her voice.

"It's Adele. Preston stay here." When in the history of the world had Chief Webber left his work to go attend his wife? Today.

He walks past Cristina and goes out of his office. They are alone. This is the first time they are alone in more than 24 hours since they were never alone in their wedding day. And the realization falls hard upon them both.

She looks out the Chief's office's window and there's people looking inside. No damn it! Pull it together! Those sons of bitches knew he was here and nobody said a word. She wouldn't give in to what they wanted. She preferred people looking at her as a soulless bitch, as Izzie did, than a whinny poor little bride left the day of her wedding. Finding strength in her fear of being seen as weak she manages to speak.

"How are you?" She says her voice barely audible, still looking out, still in the same position. She wanted to know how he was but she wasn't ready to face him just yet.

"I'm fine. How are you?" His voice translates the pain he is feeling for seeing her like this. He can tell she's barely standing on her feet, even though she's doing her best to put up a front. The pain he is feeling for not being able to hold her in his arms and let her find comfort in them. He can't help it and puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Please Dr. Burke if you could keep your hands to yourself I would really appreciate it." She says the moment she feels his hand on her shoulder. He ignores her request and instead tightens his grip. It hurts. It hurts to want to look into his eyes and tell him I'd take him back, it hurts I want him to keep his hand on my shoulder, it hurts that I want him to put his other hand on my other shoulder and keep the balance for me instead of this stupid chair, it hurts to want him to be firm for me but instead he feels so unsteady, it hurts that I so desperately want to feel his lips touching mine but what hurts the most is that he can never seem to listen to me.

"I asked you to please remove your hand from my shoulder." Her voice comes out stronger. He does as she says feeling as if she had sucked his soul the moment he laid his hand on her shoulder. Again, the unwelcome looks coming from outside the office feed her and she takes one hand away from the chair and takes the doorknob not once turning around to look at him. She opens the door and lets her other hand go of the back of the chair, her entire weight now resting upon her unstable legs. She starts walking outside Richard's office when she feels his hand grabbing her arm hard stopping her on her tracks and forcing her to face him. He closes the door with his other hand. She doesn't want to look into he's eyes so instead fixes her gaze in the hand resting in her arm.

"Burke let go of me." Her voice firm masking the weakness that doesn't allow her to take her arm away from his hand.

"No. Look at me" She doesn't move. "Cristina look at me damn it!" She knew the moment she looked into his eyes there would be no resolve, no strength. She wouldn't fall apart. But what was he doing? Preston Burke was a man of his word. He always stuck to his decisions. And he had chosen to let her go. Seeing her like this told him he had made a huge mistake.

Cristina's afraid now. She fears she won't be strong enough to keep standing. He was the only one who ever took her fears away. She gives in. She looks into his eye. Everything was there. Like the first time their eyes found each other's. His eyes told the story of a man that loved her. A man who loves her. He can see the same. He can see her.

Suddenly Richard enters his office. They seem to be lost in each others eyes and don't even notice his presence.

"Ahem" Richard loudly clears his throat and the trance is broken. He lets go of her arm and she quickly walks out of the room.

"Cristina" Burke says about to start following her. Richard puts his hand on Burke's arm now.

"Don't. You walked out on her. Let her go already" Burke looks past Richard for Cristina and then looks back at Richard.

"She's not the Cristina I walked out on."

A/N: Please let me now what you think. I don't know when I'll be able to update again but I'll do it as soon as I get a chance. Thanks for reading.