10. More than anything

Owen sat with the laptop on the couch in the firehouse on his day off while May had her midday sleep and Cristina was at the hospital. He was concentrated on finance statistics as suddenly the phone rang. He took it up from the coffee table and answered.

"Dr. Hunt? This is Max Hayden from the social services, we met in the lobby of your hospital before." Owen blinked a few times and tried to collect his thoughts. Cristina and him had tried to suppress the thought of the social welfare service wanting to inspect their life and how they took care of May. And after they hadn't called for six weeks they were almost sure the social services had forgotten about them.

"Yeah I remember, Mr. Hayden. How can I help you?" He asked politely while he was glad it was him answering the phone and not Cristina. Her politeness would be … well… limited. He thought.

"As a social worker it was my duty to report the difficult situation of you and your wife as full-time surgeons raising your child to the social welfare service and it turned out your case is of some interest to them."

Case? Owen repeated disbelievingly in mind not even bothering to correct Hayden with the use of the term 'wife' for Cristina. Actually speechless he tried to think of something to say but only one thing occurred to him:

"So?"

"So, I was given the task of examining your and especially your daughter's living conditions. For that I would like to set a date to visit you at your home when you, your wife and of course your daughter are home. I would like to suggest Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. Is this okay with you?"

Owen gulped.

"Well… yeah, that's okay with me. I… um… yeah." He stuttered and made a mental note to postpone the board meeting that was set for that day.

"So, I'm looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday then." Hayden said a little too happy for Owen's taste.

"Me too." He said but thought the opposite.

"Goodbye Dr. Hunt."

"Goodbye." Owen hung up with a sigh. He didn't know what to feel. Partly he was worried but mostly he was mad. How could anybody think they weren't giving May all the love and care a child deserves? And then he was worried and afraid of Cristina's reaction to the bad news. He knew her and the cool surface she carried towards most people, but he of all people knew best what a loving and caring and vulnerable creature sometimes lived beneath it. Yes, she was a strong woman – he barely knew anybody else that strong – but she was strong because she had been hit to the core a few times. And this? This would definitely hit her core.

As Cristina came home Owen was just holding both of May's hands and practiced walking with her. Reaching the top of the stairs Cristina squatted down and stretched her arms out.

"Hey kiddo, walk here, right into Mummy's arms!" She encouraged her.

"Mummy!" May exclaimed. Owen let go off her hands and she made the last three steps on her own falling into Cristina's arms grinning proudly up to her. Owen sadly watched Cristina as she cuddled with May knowing he soon would have to burst her bubble and tell her the bad news.

She let May crawl to her playing area (which was practically the whole living room, because she liked to spread her toys everywhere possible) and got up glancing up at Owen with sparkling eyes. He stroked her cheek and gave her a short but soft kiss.

"How was your day?"

"Great!" She said wrapping her arms around his neck. "Just great!" She drew his head closer and let her lips graze his ever so lightly. He felt her tongue softly caressing his upper lip. Their kisses were never lame or routine, but always passionate. Sometimes he even felt like it was their first kiss, every time feeling the urge to explore this fascinating woman that was the mother of his daughter all over again. He just fell in love with her all over again. Leaning in the kiss he put a hand into her thick silky curls. But before his body could react to their seemingly eternal burning passion he stopped himself.

"Um… there's a thing I need to tell you." He began. "You remember May's birthday when she had a cold and the day-care couldn't take her?" Cristina nodded already fearing the worst.

"Well that guy, Hayden, called and he wants or is given the task to visit us here at Tuesday afternoon."

He watched her face for a reaction which was motionless as she just nodded again. Owen knew that expression. Frozen at the outside it would eat her up on the inside. She would try to hold the motionlessness as long as possible but he also knew it was only a matter of time until she would eventually melt down.

Without saying a word she turned and made her way to May and watched her playing. Owen followed her and placed a hand at her back lightly rubbing it to calm the both of them. May obviously noticed the tension in the room, made a face and began to cry. Cristina picked her up and held her tight and Owen gave them both a calming kiss on their cheeks.

"We should feed her some dinner and tuck her in, she's probably tired." He told her.

Later that evening, after they had tucked May in they lay in their bed side by side. Cristina still hadn't said much but suddenly she took Owen's hand and squeezed it hard with a desperate look in her eyes. He turned to her and saw the worry, fear and also some anger plainly written on her face.

He pulled her closer and held her tight while she reached with her hands around him. Clinging to him she buried her face at his chest.

"Shhh" He made and kissed her hair. "Everything's going to be alright." He told her and he – worried himself – really wanted to believe it.

"He's coming here and he will see that we are giving May a good life. He'll see she has everything she needs. We take good care of her and support her and teach her all the things a toddler has to learn and most importantly we love her and he will see that, Cristina. It's not possible that he doesn't see that." He soothingly caressed her cheek as she pulled back a little to look him into the eyes.

"You are a good father, Owen." She said gravely and then smiled a small smile before leaning in for a kiss.

"I love the two of you more than anything in the world." He answered.