Author's Note: First of all, let me begin by saying that the writers on Grey's Anatomy are so awesome for giving us scenes like the one in No Good at Saying Sorry (One More Chance) – that last scene with Cristina and Owen is pure magic. But it's heartbreaking, so to soothe some of pain, here is a slightly happier ending.

Dedication: To Raachel2008 -- because although they didn't say the words, it was definitely there. But if the 3 little words are actually spoken, I will keep my end of the bargain and write you a fanfiction of your choice.

"Take Care Now"

Tears were flowing down Cristina's face as she listened to Owen tell her that he was trying to make things right. All day she had been thinking that he had moved on, and that these odd pleasantries he delivered to her with a polite smile were proof that he no longer cared. And that hurt. And it made her mad. Which was why she couldn't keep quiet any longer when he came up to her and said to her, "Nice work today" as if she were just his resident who'd done a good job. She wasn't O'Malley or Karev – she was supposed to be the woman he wanted to be around in 40 years.

But she'd been wrong – completely wrong. He loved her. Although he couldn't say the actual words, he'd said them just the same. He still cared – and all of the day's distancing behavior had been because he thought he was protecting her from him. If she wasn't so heartbroken, she probably would've made some comment about his overactive savior complex.

Cristina felt guilty. She had let his PTSD get out of hand, and she felt that she'd made things worse by thinking she could handle it when she actually couldn't. So now, even though she wanted to desperately tell him that she didn't want to be let off the hook – that she was in this for the long haul, she couldn't. She was afraid that it would make things worse – she didn't want to do anything to impede his healing process. If he felt that he needed to distance himself from her, then she would heed his wishes. The only thing she wouldn't be able to bear is if he no longer cared.

With the list of the silly 3-word sentences in her hand, she avoided Owen's searching gaze. She took in a shaky breath and handed the paper over to him. Without glancing up because it would be too painful to look him in the eyes, she whispered, "Take care now" – the exact words he'd said to her. She knew that he'd understand that this was her saying that she loved him, too. Walking past him, her hand briefly lingered on the sheet of paper before letting go and leaving him without so much as a backward glance. She knew that she probably shouldn't have said anything to make things easier for him to move on – as he was trying to do with her – but she couldn't leave him without letting him know that she loved him, too. She would respect his wishes and not say the words that were killing him inside, but she wouldn't let him continue believing that he was no good for her or that she could move on from him so easily – if at all.

Owen briefly looked down at the paper as Cristina handed it back to him before staring at her retreating back, absorbing the fact of what she'd just said to him: what was once an inane and ordinary three-word sentence now had so much meaning. She loved him. He couldn't believe she'd said it. He couldn't understand how she could love him even after what he'd done.

He couldn't just let her walk off without understanding.

Cristina was walking at a brisk pace, wanting to go back to the privacy of her apartment where prying eyes couldn't see her tears. She couldn't believe that she'd cried out in the open like that. She was so preoccupied on making it to her apartment that she didn't hear the sound Owen's running feet until he was right next to her.

Owen gently grabbed hold of her arm so that she'd turn to face him and forcing her to come to a halt. Standing outside the front of her apartment – the same place where he'd first told her that he thought she was beautiful – Owen brought his hand to her chin to signal her to look at him. Cristina resisted at first but finally gave in.

Owen brushed away the tears that ran down her cheek. After a moment's pause, he finally spoke. "Why did you say it?" he asked softly, sincerely needing to know how she could love a man who didn't deserve her and was not worthy of her.

"Because it's true," Cristina replied, her voice a bit hoarse because of the tears.

"How can it be true – after what I did to you?" He still hated speaking of the incident. Every day, he wished it'd never happened. Every day, he wished that things were different.

"I forgive you. It wasn't you – you could never hurt me. Until today when you treated me like I was anyone else. That hurt more."

"I'm sorry, Cristina. I just want to make things right. I thought you'd be happier if I let you off the hook."

"Don't you see, Owen? You make me happy. We are what's right. And I don't want to be let off the hook. I don't want you to let me go. But first you need to stop thinking that you are no good for me."

"I wrecked you," Owen whispered intensely, his tone laced with pain.

"No," Cristina countered adamantly, cupping his face in her hand, "you fixed me. Iwas a ghost before you. And yousaved me. You see me, Owen. You see me. You don't know my 'before', but I have one, too. You are my 'after.' You are my always. That is why I said it."