Ok, I get that it's been forever, but I just suddenly had inspiration hit me upside the head so I'm back! Review please, it'll keep me on track :]

Work the next few days was basically Cristina going through the motions of her normal work. She was quiet during rounds and didn't feel the need to fight for any surgeries. She saw Jackson a few times and every time she had the sudden urge to either run into the nearest room or yell at him for leaving her just like everyone else. Burke seemed to be at the hospital for the organ harvest of a brain dead car crash victim. He tried to catch Cristina quite a few times during his stay, but she always managed to slip either out of the room or out of sight completely. Meredith hadn't been any help to him either, nor her boyfriend Derek Shepard. He wondered why Cristina would act so childish, but he dismissed it as her not being able to handle the present as a mature adult. He went on with his surgery, but was lucky to catch just a passing glance as she headed into an on call room. He decided that he wanted them to talk, and wasn't going to leave Seattle until they did, so bravely setting his shoulders; he walked in to the on call room behind her and leaned against the door so she couldn't run from him anymore. He watched as she lay unmoving on the bed and remembered how many times they had lain in bed together before. He knew it was wrong of him to expect a welcoming of some sort from her, but it didn't make the sting of her dismissive attitude towards him any less painful. After a few minutes of a tense, unmoving silence, Cristina rolled over to face the one problem that took every ounce of energy she had left; she stared at his unmoving frame, and watched the muscles in his jaw clench and unclench, fighting with the words that she knew were waiting on the tip of his tongue. Sitting up, she motioned for him to sit on the bed across from her, not even waiting for him to sit down before she chose to start their soon- to- be painful conversation.

"So Burke, how'd it feel winning the Harper Avery?" she asked in a sarcastic manner, feeling the familiar ache in her chest just as powerful as the first time she had laid eyes on the article. All of the emotions that that one article seemed to bring back refreshed all the hurt and anger she was trying to repress in order to feign calm indifference.

Sighing, Preston took off his glasses and slid to the edge of the mattress he was sitting on to be as close to Cristina as possible, only to realize that she had pulled away from him completely to lean against the opposite wall.

"Cristina, I know that you're upset but please try to be reasonable…"

"Reasonable? Burke, in case you hadn't noticed, what I did to help you get your career back on track and risk my reputation at the hospital you left me at wasn't exactly reasonable. And don't think for a minute you have any clue as to how I'm feeling because it's been quite some time since you've actually given a damn about me" she said with more venom than he thought he deserved, but held his tongue because continuing this particular fight would just have them talking in circles.

"Cristina, I left because I thought you deserved better. You and I both know that you didn't want to get married in the white gown and in front of so many people. I did what I thought was best and don't regret my decision, all I regret is leaving without knowing if you really did love me, or loved the idea of us together" he said sadly, looking Cristina in the eyes only to see an intensity he hasn't seen in some time. But instead of it igniting a passion in him that made him want to kiss her, it made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and made his muscles tense.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean! Do you think I said yes because I was blinded by your skill? You really are an ass Burke, and you really don't know me at all. I said yes because I loved you, but you coming back here after all this time has caused more hurt than anything and I won't ever forgive you" she said frantically, images of Owen and Jackson flashing in the forefront over her mind and seem to just add fuel to the fire.

"I was finally able to find a guy that loved me for me and what I had to offer, and I love him for who he is as a person first before a surgeon" she said and choked on her next sentence because she just admitted out loud that she does indeed love Jackson. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she pressed on knowing that she had to get certain things out into the open.

"I learned from my mistakes with both you and Owen. I want to love and be loved in return, and I thought I had found that until a few days ago"

"What do you mean Cristina? No one will ever love you as much as I did…"

"That's just it! You did love me a lot, but he loves me completely even with my trust issues and my need to be the best because he's just like me" she said, her body seeming to deflate as she realized that Preston Burke no longer held power over her, but was a means to completely open herself up to Jackson.

"You will always be the man I almost married, but I want Jackson to be the man that doesn't have that almost attached to my memories of him. I want him to be more than a memory, and you being here just hurts that and us" she sighed, and watched as Burke leaned back slightly, as if to figure out if she was being serious. Knowing that Burke would need more of a final statement of what they are to each other, she got up and headed for the door. As she reached for the handle she turned back to him for what she hoped to be the very last time.

"Burke, you'll always have a place in my heart but your place isn't Seattle anymore. Go home, it's best for everyone" and she walked out without a second thought, knowing that the part of her past that kept holding her back was finally letting her go for good.

Burke watched as Cristina walked away from him, and felt nothing but a content feeling wash over him.

"Good luck Cristina. Hope he gives you everything I couldn't"

Later lAter laTer latEr lateR----------------

As the day went on, Cristina couldn't help but smile as often as she could. She kept getting odd looks but couldn't have cared less because she was rid of Burke and the only person that understood what a big deal that was, was Meredith. She was almost as happy as Cristina, but knew that until Jackson was in on their joy that everything wasn't ok just yet.

"You gonna tell him? 'Cause I'm scrubbing in on a surgery with him this afternoon and I don't think I can keep this all to myself"

"If it comes up, go ahead. I don't know how to approach him with this, so maybe that'll be best. Just make sure he knows it's over ok?" Cristina nearly pleaded, which was weird beyond belief for Meredith.

"No problem. Go home, I think things will be better before you know it" she said smiling as she made her way to surgery, leaving Cristina to her thoughts.

Walking into the gallery watching the surgery before her own, she spotted Jackson in a corner and decided that sooner was better than later.

"You have sex or something 'cause you're just a little to smiley right now…" he asked skeptically as she sat down next to him.

"No I didn't, but since you mentioned it I'll tell you why I'm so happy" she said, knowing that he was only getting half of the truth, but knew that half was all he needed to understand a few things.

"Burke is gone and Cristina told him everything she was feeling. She told me it was liberating and I'm just happy that part of her life won't make a spontaneous reappearance anytime soon" she said smiling, knowing that that alone had piqued Jackson's interest more than he cared to admit.

"Really, huh… Glad she got everything out in the open" he said trying to be as nonchalant as possible, but failing miserably.

"And now she's on her way home to drown herself in wine and tapes of surgeries. Not how I'd end my day but whatever…"

He looked at her and then back down to the surgery, knowing that it was taking all of his self control to stay in his seat and not race through the hospital to find Cristina. Getting annoyed at his lack of action, Meredith decided that being blunt was just what he needed.

"Jackson, go get her and tell her you love her already. I paged Alex on my way down here and he'll cover for you if you wanna…" before she could even finish her sentence, Jackson was out of his seat and out the door going to go find Cristina she presumed.

"Now who'll be all smiley from sex tomorrow…" she said as she settled in to watch her boyfriend operate, knowing that there would be all kind of details for her tomorrow.