Chapter 14: Awards and Surprise

The drive down I-5 was as uneventful and boring as always. Rain drizzled on and off during the three-hour trip as Owen drove. Amelia switched between reviewing her outline and dozing off. A break in the clouds shone through as they entered Oregon, and Owen woke Amelia up to show her the double rainbow shining brightly in front of them.

"Mia, honey, wake up and look at these rainbows. Aren't they just gorgeous?" Owen mused.

Amelia observed Owen with a gentle gaze as she woke up from her nap. As she reoriented herself into the present moment, she smiled at him and focused her attention on the man she'd come to love so deeply.

Sensing he was being watched, Owen quickly glanced over and asked with a grin, "What?"

"I love you," Amelia grinned as her gaze remained fixed.

Owen smiled broadly and offered, "I love you too." Losing the wide-open opportunity to offer deepen the romance of the moment, he pointed the top of his head toward the rainbows and raised his eyebrows as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, "And how about that, huh?"

"Beautiful," Amelia agreed. Internally, she giggled at how this brilliant trauma surgeon who ran a hospital could simultaneously be so enticed by rainbows.

As they neared the city, Owen fretted, "I always miss the bridge or take the wrong one."

"Well if you miss the Freemont, you can always cross just about any other bridge to end up downtown," Amelia encouraged. "You want to get over in the right lane if you're going to take the Freemont, though."

"Are you sure?" Owen inquired, "I didn't see any signs for 405. I've got time."

"I'm sure," Amelia confirmed.

Owen was not going to move over until he was positive, they were nearing the interchange. He stayed in the middle lane and missed the exit, exclaiming, "Dammit! That's what I was talking about. Now which bridge do I take?"

"Are you going to listen to me this time or dismiss my instructions?" Amelia asked with a slight tone of irritation.

Owen groaned, "Which bridge, Mia?"

"Take the Morrison Bridge right after 84 merges into this freeway," she instructed.

"Are you sure?" Owen asked as he gripped the steering wheel tightly as the freeway lanes narrowed and a beautiful view of downtown emerged on their right.

Amelia offered flatly, "Would you like me to drive?"

"No. No, I'm good. Morrison after 84. I got it," Owen retorted.

Amelia warned, "Well, don't screw it up because if you end up on the Markum, we have to swing onto 405 and get into downtown from the back and there are all those roads without signals."

"I know," Owen growled. He caught the exit for the Morrison Bridge and turned right onto 2nd Avenue.

Amelia furrowed her brow, "The hotel is on Broadway, why are you turning here?" Tensions were beginning to rise as two precise surgeons had each determined a different ideal route through the one-way streets of the city.

"I've got it," Owen snapped. Then, sounding almost as if he were instructing a child, he continued, "If we take 2nd, we can turn left onto Oak…just as I'm doing right now… and then turn left onto Broadway to avoid the upper blocks without signals. That way, the hotel ends up being on our right and we can drive right up to it."

Amelia sighed as she dismissed his plan, "Well, I would have taken Washington to 6th, but whatever."

Owen reached over and put his hand on her knee. He took a deep breath and tried to sound nice as he said, "Well, when you're driving, you can take that route. I prefer this way." He gave his smirk that was usually reserved for interns and residents when he was trying to be nice even though he was frustrated with them. The tone of his voice, and how it was normally used, did not escape her.

Amelia relented with an exasperated sigh, "You're driving. Your choice." She decided not to watch and looked down at her notes absently.

As he turned onto Broadway and pulled up to The Benson Hotel, Owen made the mistake of opening his mouth. "See how great this is? We turned and we're right where we need to be." Amelia, looking out the window, stubbornly remained quiet with a slight frown.

Before the valet approached the car, Owen sighed audibly, "Now you're mad and not talking?"

"I'm talking. I didn't see any reason to affirm your attempt to convince me that your method was better," she shrugged with a straight face.

Owen hopped out of the car on his own and the doorman opened the door for Amelia. Owen handed over the keys and tipped the valet as he headed into the hotel. Amelia was already steps ahead of him, standing in front of the check-in desk with a forced smile as she waited.

Owen approached and let out a big breath as he put his arm around Amelia and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry. My intent was not to try to argue about which streets were better." He kissed the top of her head and squeezed his arm around her.

Rather than apologizing, Amelia gratefully stated, "Thank you." After all, she thought with determination and insistence, she'd not been part of the problem.

Owen chuckled softly and looked toward the ceiling, A great way to start the trip, he thought silently. "Would you prefer to handle the check in details, or shall I?" Owen asked, thinking, With the mood she's in, I can't win. If I take the lead, I'll be labelled controlling. If I don't, I'll be labelled inattentive.

"Please," she motioned her hand toward the desk as their turn arrived. Owen grinned at her, trying to look pleasant but concerned his simmering frustration was about to boil over. He approached the Front Desk as Amelia turned and sat down in a nearby chair. She noticed Owen slipping the clerk a large bill, thinking the amount was fairly excessive. She thought How are we going to afford a 7-bedroom house if he tips like that? Geesh.

As she sat in the lobby trying to collect her growing tension, which was mostly due to her anticipation of the upcoming keynote in two days, Derek approached from behind. He hugged her and kissed her cheek, "Amy…you made it."

Amelia was surprised and jumped slightly as she grumbled, "Derek, don't ever do that to me again."

"Say hello?" Derek responded as he feigned a rejected visage.

Smirking, Amelia looked up at Derek while remaining seated, huffing, "You scared me. That's all."

"Derek," Owen greeted warmly as he approached. "I wasn't sure when you were planning to arrive."

"Meredith and I actually drove down last night. You know, a little time away, just the two of us," Derek explained with smug satisfaction. The previous night had worn him out but had also been wonderful.

"Where's Meredith?" Owen inquired.

Derek motioned to the east, "She's up at Powell's, lost in the shelves and shelves of books. I was just heading up to meet her. Care to join me?"

Noting that Amelia was disengaged from the conversation and was gazing toward the street, Owen non-verbally communicated her current mood. "Uh…thanks. I think we'll grab a bite and go from there. But have fun. I love that bookstore. Mia? You ready?"

Amelia brought herself back to the moment, stood up and nodded, "Sure." Owen slipped his hand on the small of her back as he guided her toward the elevator. Derek caught Owen's eye, raised his eyebrows, and mouthed, Good Luck. Owen nodded with understanding.

The large tip had paid off handsomely. When they reached their room and opened the door, four dozen red roses were in various vases and placed throughout the suite. Amelia took a half step back and widened her eyes, "Wow. What's all this?"

Owen moved so he was directly in front of her and looked her in the eye, "I truly am sorry about the road and bridges and all that. I'm here to support you not to annoy you. You've got to be feeling a little tense." Owen offered her a sly grin and disclosed, "The tub is large and should be drawn and waiting."

Joking, Amelia responded, "Oh, that will be lovely. I'll see you in a bit." She pecked him on the cheek and headed toward the tub. Owen, looking dejected, wasn't sure if she was serious or not, but he reminded himself of the words he'd just spoken, I'm here to support you not annoy you. From the other room, Amelia flirted, "Well are you joining me?" Owen threw his clothes off piece by piece, leaving a trail from the entry to the tub.

He slipped in behind her and leaned his back against the tub as she leaned her back against him. The water was perfect, just barely too hot. The relaxing warmth helped both of them recalibrate and reconnect. Owen nibbled Amelia's ear as he nuzzled his head in her hair and massaged her tense shoulders with his strong, capable hands. Amelia ran her foot along his leg and rested her arms on the edge of the tub.

As he rubbed his stubbly cheek along her neck, he worked up the courage to suggest the plan he'd concocted. He whispered, "How about the morning after the keynote, we skip out of the conference and head over to the courthouse?"

Amelia's eyes sparkled as she smiled widely. She leaned her head further back onto him, then turned to kiss him, "You are a man of brilliance. I would love that, but why wait until after the keynote?"