A/N: Final chapter.
His name was Colton Elliot Hunt and he came kicking and screaming into the world. He was a big boy – nine pounds, six ounces – and he gave his tiny mother a lot of trouble to get him out. Cristina could not believe the size of the baby. She, herself, was only about six pounds, when she was born. Clearly, it had to be Owen's genes that caused this massive baby. She cursed her husband, as she birthed this humongous baby. She swore that she was never going to have another baby.
When they took him home, Cristina never knew she could love someone like she loved baby Colton. Yes, she loved Owen with all of her heart but baby Colton came from inside of her. She had made him. When he slept, she would stare at him, marveling at how tiny his fingers were. She brushed his blonde hair with the softest of brushes. Owen loved rocking the baby to sleep. Every night, Cristina would find Owen in the nursery in the rocking chair and humming the baby to sleep. It was like his special duty.
Two years later, Colton was joined by his sister, a dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty named Kiera Caroline Hunt. She was not as big as Colton was, when she was born. For this, Cristina was extremely grateful. She was seven pounds, five ounces. Both father and son were fascinated by this new baby girl. Owen loved the baby's dark curls, which framed her face. Colton did not know his own strength in handling the baby, so Owen told him to be careful. Colton was very proud when he sat down on the bed and Owen placed the baby in his arms. He could not stop smiling at the baby girl. He loved his little sister so much.
Two years later, another Hunt baby joined the family. Cristina declared that this was definitely the last Hunt baby because three children were the perfect number for a family. Three kids could easily fit comfortably in the back seat of a sedan, she reasoned. This time, it was another baby boy, whose name was Rhys Evan Hunt. He weighed eight pounds, two ounces. He was a dark haired, brown eyed boy and he was always smiling. In fact, if you asked his parents, they would readily admit that their youngest boy had the best disposition of their three children. He rarely cried at all, much to Cristina's relief.
As her family was growing, Cristina too was growing professionally. She had gotten a job at an investment banking company in a junior position, after Colton was born. She turned out to be a quick learner and became quite versed in stocks and bonds and investment funds. With her knowledge, she invested for the Hunt family and she was very successful at it. They were able to buy a house after Kiera was born because they definitely needed the space. After Rhys was born, they were able to upsize and get the house of their dreams. The Hunts were living a good life.
They were having breakfast, when Owen started opening the mail that he had picked up but had forgotten to open, the day before. Cristina was feeding two year old Rhys, while four year old Kiera and six year old Colton were having their favorite cereals. Owen opened an envelope and started to laugh.
"What's so funny, Daddy?" Colton asked, as he brushed a blonde lock from off his eyes.
"Oh, Colton, it is just an invitation from Aunt Julia. Cristina, I cannot believe it. Julia, at the age of 37, is finally getting married. It is a wedding invitation."
"What?" Cristina shrieked. "She is finally getting married after having how many boyfriends, Owen?"
"Ahem," Owen said, reminding Cristina that their two older children were listening, intently.
"Oh, okay," she said. "Who is it? Was it the last guy we met at Christmas? Fitzroy, was it?"
"Uh, no," Owen said. "Her intended groom is William Harrison. Apparently, she and Fitzroy broke up before Valentine's Day and she met William at a singles party on Valentine's Day. Apparently, they hit it off. So we have a wedding to go to in a couple of weeks in Chicago."
"Awesome," Cristina said, a little grumpily. Traveling with three small children was already hard, when it was just using the car. But airports and planes and suitcases and strollers were involved, making it even doubly harder.
"You don't have to sound like that," Owen said. She recognized how cranky she sounded. "Owen, it has nothing to do with Julia and her wedding. It is the traveling to get there."
"Don't worry. We are Team Hunt. We and our three little children will be present and accounted for at Aunt Julia's wedding?" he said, as he got up and gave her a kiss. She hugged him and kissed him back.
"Ooh, Daddy and Mommy are kissy-face," Kiera piped up. She giggled and shook her dark curls.
"That's because Daddy and Mommy love each other very much," Owen said. "And always will."
A couple of weeks later found the Hunt family at Julia's wedding. They met William at the rehearsal dinner. He had red hair and looked a little familiar to Cristina, even though she knew that she had never met him before. Kiera was going to be part of the wedding party as she had been designated the role of the flower girl. She was going to be wearing a blue chiffon dress and was going to carry a white basket. She was so proud.
The wedding went off without a hitch. Kiera did an admirable job in dropping the white rose petals on the ground. When she passed her mommy and daddy, she gave them the biggest smile. Owen took so many pictures, while Cristina wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. George looked handsome as he and Julia came down the aisle, together. He had waited many years to take his daughter down the aisle. Finally, she had found someone to share her life with and he was very happy about that. Julia was extremely joyful; it almost seemed like she was dancing down the aisle. She gave her brother a cheeky grin. Owen grinned back at her. He knew Julia had long searched for someone to love and he was ecstatic for her. He also caught Garrett's eye. Garrett and Holly had come from California and were also at the wedding with their two boys, six year old Benjamin and three year old Cameron. They both nodded at each other. Owen smiled, remembering how Garrett used to have a crush on Julia, when they were kids.
After the formal ceremony was over and everyone had found their way to the reception at a fancy hotel, Cristina declared, "This was a wonderful wedding." She was sitting at their table with Rhys in her lap. Owen looked at her, "Are you sorry that we never did the whole big wedding?"
"Honestly, sometimes, I am a little envious, but other times, I realize that I have had such a great marriage, it doesn't matter," she said.
"I am going to make you a promise, here. When we hit our 10th anniversary, I think we should have a recommitment ceremony and we can have a real wedding," he said. "We can certainly afford it, given how savvy an investor you are."
"Really?" she said. "Okay, that's a deal." They were then interrupted by Kiera, who was climbing her way on to Owen's lap. It was like a cloud of blue chiffon had settled into his lap.
"Daddy, daddy, a boy is following me," the four year old complained. She looked at him, her blue eyes opened wide. "What boy, Kiera?" he asked, with a smile. She pointed out a handsome boy with dark auburn hair, green eyes and a smattering of light freckles across his nose. He looked to be about six or seven years old. The boy bashfully looked away, when he realized that Kiera was pointing him out to her father.
"He looks okay, Kiera," Owen said. He wanted to laugh but he treated it with total seriousness. He looked across at the boy, who was stealing glances at Kiera. "Maybe he just wants to play."
"I don't want to play with him, daddy. He's a boy," she declared. She slipped off his lap and went in search of some girls to play with. The boy looked wistfully at her departing figure.
Later on, they noticed the young boy engaging in conversation with Kiera. He was giving her a chocolate truffle. All of the children in the wedding had been each given a chocolate truffle. Cristina knew that Kiera had already greedily eaten her own chocolate truffle and was hungrily eyeing what the little boy had to offer. Cristina went towards them.
"So, Kiera, what do you say?" she asked her daughter. "He is being a very nice boy and giving you his truffle."
"Thank you," Kiera said, a little stiffly, as she took the chocolate from the boy's hand. The boy had the biggest smile on his face, as he watched the little girl take a bite of the chocolate.
"Oh, there you are, Damian," a familiar voice said. Cristina looked up and recognized the redheaded man immediately. It was Conrad Harrison, her former neighbor and old roommate.
"Conrad," she said. "I have not seen you in years."
"Oh, my God, Cristina Yang," he said. The two old friends hugged. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"The groom is my cousin," Conrad said. "I should have known that because he looked familiar, even though I have never met him before," Cristina said. "So is this little guy yours?"
"No, he is my sister's kid," Conrad said. "I am not married but I hope to be, someday. I am engaged. Well, I guess this beautiful little girl is yours. She has your hair and Hunt's eyes. That is your husband, right?"
"Yeah, I did marry Owen Hunt," she admitted. "I think Damian has a crush on Kiera. He just gave her his chocolate truffle."
"Ah," Conrad said. "Wooing the ladies with chocolate, Damian? Good one." The little boy grinned. He offered his hand to Kiera and they walked off to join some other children, who were doing some crazy dancing on the floor.
"So how have you been?" Cristina asked. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, I went to law school and I'm now working with Siegler Brothers downtown. I am a third year associate," Conrad said. "You?"
"Investment banking. Working in Portland," she said. "It pays well."
"It's really good to see you, Cristina. Just seeing you reminds me of the good old days. Remember the night when my girlfriend broke up with me and you were kind enough to drink with me and then we played strip poker and passed out," Conrad said, laughing. Cristina knew exactly the night he was talking about. It was the night that she thought that she had cheated on Owen with Conrad.
"We played strip poker?" she asked.
"Yeah, don't you remember?" he said. She shook her head. "My memories of that night are totally vague," she admitted.
"Yeah, we got so drunk that we passed out after the strip poker," he said. "I don't think we even cared that we saw each other naked. I reminded you that we had seen each other naked when we were little kids."
"Oh," Cristina said. The realization of what had gone down that night was dawning on her.
"I never really thanked you for that night. I should have," he said. "You were a true friend. I knew I needed to get my act together. I got up the next day and started to clean up my room. I was such a slob; I even had a condom on the floor, from the last time when my ex-girlfriend had stayed over. I made a change in my life and I realized that she was not the kind of girl that I should date. So, thanks," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"You're more than welcome," she said. The mystery of that night had been solved. Now, she could tell Owen that she never cheated on him. "It's good to see you again, Conrad. I have to tell my husband something."
She found her husband at the table, with Rhys, who was totally tuckered out and fast asleep in his arms. "Why are you grinning like a Cheshire cat?" he asked.
"I just found out something that has haunted me for years. Remember in senior year, when I broke up with you, because I thought I had cheated with Conrad?" she asked.
"Why are you bringing up such painful memories? I know it has been years and I have forgiven you but it still hurts," Owen said.
"Well, I just met Conrad. By the way, he is your new brother in law's cousin. Small world, isn't it? In any case, he just told me that all we did that night was play strip poker and pass out," she said, gleefully. "I never cheated on you."
"But you said there was a condom on the floor?" Owen asked, a little puzzled.
"Conrad said that was a condom he had left on the floor, from the last time his girlfriend was there," she said, triumphantly.
"So I am the only guy you have ever been with?" he said, with a grin. "I feel a little bit smug."
"Yes, my one and only," she told him. Even though Owen had forgiven her so long ago, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her. Their two older children came to them.
"I'm ready to go home, daddy," Colton said. "I am tired," Kiera said. "I want to sleep."
"Okay," Owen said. "We can go home, now." Home for them while they were in Chicago was at the Hunts' house. He handed sleeping Rhys to Cristina, while he picked up Kiera in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
As they were leaving, Damian called out, "Bye, Kiera." Kiera opened her eyes and sleepily waved at him. Owen smiled at the boy. He knew exactly what the little boy was feeling. A long time ago, he was that little boy, whose heart was stolen by a little girl. He looked across at his beautiful wife, who had been that little girl.
"I always believe in fate," Owen said, taking her hand into his. "It was fate that I met Garrett in my class. It was fate that he brought me to your house. It was fate that I met the love of my life, standing in the doorway of her bedroom. We were always meant to be."
"Yeah, I believe it, too," she said, with a smile.
THE END
A/N Thank you for joining me in this journey that took Owen and Cristina from childhood to adulthood. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave your final reviews and thoughts, as we say goodbye to this AU version of Cristina and Owen.
