As I mentioned in ch.9, I just can't get this thing going anymore, so this is the last chapter. This chapter can almost be a stand-alone piece. It's a little longer than the rest.
You can sort of think of my "Wedding Bells, and then More" as the sequel to this fan-fic.
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The green wall directly facing him read Reflection, along with snapshots of smiling faces. Burke looked around—people filling every corner of the coffee shop—talking, dating, studying, reading, writing, or like him, watching.
Burke came here to be in touch with the world and regain some personal space. Two ideas that did not normally go together. Today, they blended perfectly. Nobody knew him, nobody would show him their worried faces, yet he was surrounded by a lot of people, unlike sitting alone in his apartment.
Taking his eyes off the wall, Burke recognized how his lenses have gone misty. It was a strange feeling: like when one was trying hard not to be seen crying over a chick-flick in theatre, even when it really had its touching moment. He was feeling eerily in sync with humanity once more, being taken down the god-like seat he had been occupying for so long. Preston Burke, the one whom nobody thought would fall from grace in 17 seconds.
He saw people walking in, going out, cashiers changing places. They were all integral to the shop, but anyone could be replaced at any point in time. That was how he felt. He could be replaced, or Cristina could.
Burke loved Cristina. That was fact, although it did not negate his desire to leave her. She could and would be willing to help him, but there were things in life that a man had to face alone. He needed some time to figure out where to place himself in the world once more. Richard's recommendation was an excellent excuse.
All his life he had very clear goals and ideas about life, about what he wanted and when to get them. He was on a Sunday freeway, not speeding, but always getting ahead. Now, he was at a red light on a local street. It was unfamiliar, but it allowed him time to look around and rediscover himself.
And there he saw Cristina walking through the door.
"How's your day?" She was smiling a lot lately. He initially thought she was faking it. Soon, he reckoned it was a smile of relief and gratitude, the same emotions she felt after the bomb scare.
"Burke, don't you find it funny that we've never dated in a coffee shop before?"
"Nothing much. How about you?" He smiled back. That was how it all began, and how he would end it, at least for now.
Cristina hesitated. She already heard from the Chief about the physiotherapy program in Switzerland. "Oh, I did a lot of suturing today."
"You didn't bite anyone's head off to scrub in?" It was so unlike Cristina.
"Burke!" Cristina knew she would miss his teasing. She opened her mouth again, but he stopped her.
"Cristina—"
"I promise I won't burn down our apartment." Please don't kick me out of our home, or our relationship.
Our apartment? The phrase transfixed him.
Cristina did not give him a chance to speak. "Webber says it'll only be a couple of months, maybe half a year. You aren't gonna sell your apartment because of that, are you? You can't kick me out of our home."
Our home. If not because of his current condition, he might have proposed to the woman in front of him right away. He was just getting off the freeway. Already he could see the next entrance sign flashing not too far away.
It was their turn to order coffee. "Your name, ma'am?"
"C"
"C?"
"Yes."
"C for coffee?"
For Cristina too. His Cristina.
Cristina wrapped her arm around Burke's waist and colored his neck with her pink lip-gloss.