"Me and you?" Owen repeated. "Yup," Cristina said. "But we will discuss it when we get back to our apartment."

"I am looking forward to that," Owen said. "Just gonna grab some beers for my bro and my dad. The game is going well." He picked up three beers and went back to the den.

Juju looked at Cristina. "Good that you are going to talk about it. So are you spending Christmas with us?"

"Um, I don't think so," Cristina said. "I will probably have to spend it with my parents in San Jose." Juju totally understood that. During her marriage to Oliver, she had found herself spending Christmas with his family more often than they ever spent it with her own. They were going to spend the New Year holiday with them, instead. Juju knew that Owen was going to be disappointed.

After they had cleaned up the kitchen, Cristina went to find Owen. He was sitting on an armchair, while his dad, brother and nephew were on the couch. Owen called her over and pulled her into his lap. She nestled against him, resting her head on his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you sleepy?" he asked. "A little," she replied. "You know what happens when you eat turkey." Her eyes glanced up at the television. "Who's winning?" she asked.

"Well, dad and I are backing one team while Oliver and Max are backing the other team," Owen told her.

"We're gonna win," Max shouted, cheekily. "Your team is the pits." Owen jokingly shook his fist at him.

"I will pick your side to win since you are my boyfriend," she said. "Even though I do not have a clue about football."

"Ah, I love a loyal girlfriend," Owen said, grinning at her. "Your loyalty will not go unrewarded. We will win. Can we just going to wait for the game to finish, then we can go home? I want to gloat when we win."

"Sure," she said, yawning a bit. "Why don't you take a nap on me?" he asked. She murmured and settled into him, before closing her eyes. He could tell by the evenness of her breathing that she had fallen asleep. He hugged her tightly.

An hour later, he gently shook her awake. "Hey, Cristina, wake up, the game is over," he whispered. She opened her eyes, sat up and stretched her arms out. "Who won?" she asked.

"We did," Owen said. "Dad and I have bragging rights this year. Last year, Oliver and Max's team won." She got up from his lap. His legs had fallen asleep, while she was sleeping on him, so he stretched them out before he got up.

"Are we going home, now?" she asked. He nodded. "Just want to tell Mom I'm leaving." Cristina and Owen went out in the living room, where they found Juju and Robin having a cup of tea.

"Hey, mom, we are on our way back to our apartment," he said, as he bent down and kissed his mother.

"Okay, son," Robin said, touching his face.

"Thanks for having me," Cristina said, as she, too, gave Robin a kiss.

"Nonsense, you are always welcome here. We are open for Christmas, too," Robin reminded. She was hoping that was a clear invitation to the young lady that she was expected to be there for Christmas. Cristina didn't say anything but just smiled because she knew that she would probably be on the west coast for Christmas. Owen and Cristina gave their farewells and headed down to their apartment. As they entered their own apartment, Cristina could not help but remark how convenient it was that his entire family lived in the same building. "You all don't even have to put on coats, jackets, hats and boots to visit family during the holidays. Just jump in the elevator and you are there."

She went to the kitchen and got herself a glass of water. He sat on the couch and patted the space next to him. She went and curled up next to him.

"So you want to talk?" he said. "About me and you?"

"Yes," she said. "Remember how hard it was when you left San Francisco. It was probably the worst thing that ever happened to me. I don't know about you but I was totally devastated. I couldn't sleep and I was crying at all hours of the night."

"It was hard for me, too," he replied. "I couldn't sleep either. I missed you so much. I wanted to call you all of the time but you said that we should make a clean break of it."

"Yeah, I know. I thought it would be easier if we weren't together, anymore but it wasn't. I buried myself in my work to fill the void in my life," she said, looking into his eyes. "I recognize now that I was wrong about breaking it off with you. I thought that this time, we would do it, differently."

He perked up. He was definitley interested in what she was going to say next. "Yes," he said. "What do you propose?" He was hoping that she would say that she would move to New York and stay with him.

"Well, you do realize that my time here is limited. The program ends in four weeks, the week before Christmas, in fact and I will be leaving that weekend," she said. Owen was shocked. He was not expecting her to say that.

"So you won't be here for Christmas?" he asked, his voice cracked a bit. She shook her head. "No, I am spending Christmas with my family in San Jose. I need to see my parents and my brother and sister. I won't have seen any of them in three months."

"Oh," he said. He knew he was being selfish when he wanted her to stay for the holidays. She also had a family, too. "Okay, I understand."

"Yeah but me leaving doesn't mean that we are over," she said. "I was thinking that maybe we could try a long-distance relationship."

"Long distance?" he said, softly. That was not the ideal situation for him. What he wanted was the both of them in one place, living together and building a future.

"Yeah, things are going good for me in San Francisco and I know that you are doing very well in New York," she said. "It seems the best compromise that we have is a long-distance relationship. One of us will fly to the other, maybe once or twice a month."

He blinked. That would mean that they would only see each other twice per month. That was not sounding good at all.

"What if you stay?" he said, with pleading eyes. "Here with me. You can get a job in the head office. Apply for a vacancy here."

"Stay?" she repeated. She hadn't thought of doing that because her life was still back in San Francisco with her house, her family and her job.

"I don't think I am ready to uproot my life from San Francisco as yet," she continued. She could see the disappointment in his face. She took his face into her small hands. "I am sorry. I am just not ready but I want us to stay together in this relationship. I don't want to break up with you, again. I want us to try a long-distance relationship and see if it can work. Then, maybe further down the line, we can come to an agreement about getting together and deciding where we want to live. As far as I can tell, your roots in New York are very deep with your parents and your family so close together. It is the same for me in California. My parents are there, my home is there. You're asking me to give it up and I am just not ready. Maybe I will be ready in the future. Maybe you will be ready to give up yours. But right now, neither of us is ready. I know that."

What she said was true. He would find it hard to leave New York and he knew that it was probably be the same for her.

"Okay," he said. "Long distance. We will try it for a bit. But Cristina, you do know that it is only a temporary solution. We must come to some decision, some time in the future, if we want to be together. It is going to be very hard for me, not waking up with you every morning."

"Me, too. So we've agreed that we are going to try it," she said. He nodded. He loved her very much and there was no way he was going to give her up a second time. Long distance tested the mettle and strength of many relationships and he hoped theirs was strong enough to withstand it.

She snuggled against him and he put his arm around her. If she had looked at his face, she would have seen the uncertainty in his eyes.

The next few weeks passed faster than Owen wanted. He was savoring every minute he shared with her. Everywhere he looked, he saw people in festive spirits while he carried the heaviest of hearts. She had not left and he was already starting to miss her.

At the Christmas party, he stood in one corner, with a drink in his hand, watching her and her friends whoop it up. It was just their last day in the program and they seemed ready to go back home. Tony Jacobson from HR came and stood next to him. "Well, they seem happy."

"Yes, they do," Owen said, taking a sip. No one at the office, other than her peers, were even aware that he and Cristina were together.

"They are a good bunch," Tony said. "Very smart. I have no doubt that some of them will moving up the company, very fast. Something like you, Owen. Some would say you have had a meteoric rise. Divisional manager, already and only 30."

"Aw, Tony, you flatter me too much," Owen said. Since he had the ear of the HR head, he decided to ask him whether there were going to be any vacancies opening up in the New York office.

"So, Tony," he ventured. "Are there any vacancies here at HQ that will be opening up soon? Maybe one of those young managers might be interested in staying in New York."

"Hmm, not right now. You know how the economy is. We've only been hiring, when someone leaves or retires, if no one in the company can fill the position. Our preference is to promote our employees into the position," Tony said.

"Can you keep me in the loop about that?" Owen said. "When new vacancies open."

"Sure," Tony said. "Do you have someone in mind to fill the position?"

"I certainly do," Owen said. He smiled for the first time in days.

The next day, they spent it together, making love and just enjoying each other's company. Early on Sunday morning, he took her to the airport. She checked in her suitcases and he walked her to the security line. There, he took her in his arms in a tight embrace. They both had tears in their eyes but it was not like it was when they had said goodbye that first time. This time, they both knew that they were still together. They kissed for a long time before he finally let her go. He watched until she went in and he could see her no more.

It was Christmas Eve night at his parents' apartment. They had just had dinner and he was sitting near the fireplace, drinking a cup of eggnog. His mom came and sat beside him.

"You miss her, don't you?" Robin said, resting her hand on her son's back.

"Every waking moment, mom," he said. "I talk to her every day but it is not the same. I spoke to her this morning. She told me that she was going to her parents' house for Christmas Eve dinner and staying there, overnight. I am listening to her talk and all I could think about is being able to touch her and kiss her."

"Oh, Owen," his mom said. "I can tell that while your body is here, your heart is somewhere else. Maybe you should go see her for Christmas."

"What? " Owen said, surprised that his mother would make such a suggestion, given that she loved having all the family around for any holiday.

"Yes, go see her. Pack your bags, get a flight to San Francisco, drive to San Jose, surprise her," his mother said. "I am sure she would be happy to see you."

"Are you sure about me not being here for Christmas?" he asked.

"Yes, I am very sure. Owen, I just want you to be happy. Go see the love of your life," his mom said.

"Thank you, Mom," he said, as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. He put down his cup of eggnog and headed straight to his apartment and packed a suitcase. He then got online and booked a flight for Christmas morning.

Early Christmas morning, when people all across New York were getting up and opening their presents, he was rushing off to the airport, armed with his suitcase and her Christmas present. It had arrived early on Christmas Eve and he had planned to Fedex it to her but now, he could give it to her in person.

The five hour flight seemed to be taking forever, Owen thought. He was so eager to get to San Francisco. He rented a car at the airport and then he realized he didn't even know where Cristina's parents lived. He couldn't call her because then it wouldn't be a surprise. He called Janet and was most surprised when a familiar voice answered.

"Louis, what are you doing answering Janet's phone, as if I didn't know," Owen said, laughing.

"Owen Hunt, I must ask you why are you calling my girlfriend?" Louis said.

"I am trying to get Cristina's parents' address in San Jose," Owen asked.

"Okay, hold on," Louis said. "Janet, phone for you. It is Owen; he wants Cristina's parents' address."

A breathless Janet came on the phone and gave him the address. "So she doesn't know you are here, right?" Janet asked.

"Nope and don't spoil my surprise. I didn't fly 2600 miles to have my surprise spoiled," he warned.

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed. Merry Christmas, Owen," Janet said, happily, before she hung up.

Owen jumped into his rental car, put in the address on the GPS and was on his way. The 50 minute drive to San Jose flew by fast. He pulled up in front of a Mediterranean style two-storey home. He could imagine Cristina, running around the front lawn as a little kid.

With a fair amount of nervousness, he went up to the front door and rang the bell. The door opened and he had to look down at the person who stood there. It was a small girl, around four years old, with dark, curly hair framing her tiny face. He could not help but smile. It was like seeing Cristina as a child.

"Hello," he said. "I have come to see Cristina." The little girl nodded and disappeared. She reappeared two minutes later, dragging Cristina by the hand.

Cristina's mouth dropped open.

A/N Please leave your comments. Thanks for leaving your reviews. I do appreciate them.