Sorry it's been so long between updates. I'm already working on chapter 16. Be prepared for some major MAJOR revalations... hope you like it, and please review!
Izzie's eyes widened at the sound of Cristina's voice. "I have to check on my interns…" she whispered, dashing off down the hall.
Preston closed his eyes, debating the events about to unfold. "Are you going to tell me, or do I need to go ask the nurses if they heard anything?"
"Cristina, I'm their boss, they wouldn't tell you even if they did. Come in, close the door." He sat at his desk, and inhaled deeply. "What I am about to tell you, you are going to have to hear me out on. Remember to keep calm, don't get upset or stressed out. And most importantly, remember that I love you…"
He told her everything. He spared no detail, and he refused to look at her the whole time. "So… you cheated on me in New York. With Derek's specialist. You had no idea she was coming?"
"No…"
"Has it happened before or since? Not with her, with anyone…"
"No, god no! Cristina, it was a drunken lapse of judgement. I never meant anything by it..."
"You most certainly did. Six years ago, she gave you something I wasn't able to give you. Was it good?"
With that comment, Preston looked at her. He looked into her pale face, saw her tears and he knew. In that moment, he knew that she'd never forgive him for what he'd done. Maybe she would've had he told her when it happened. Before they were going to have a happily ever after. "Cristina…"
"I want to know. If I have to know it happened, I want everything. Was it better than me, is that why you hid it for so long?"
"I hid it from you because I didn't want to hurt you with my mistake. I can't remember what it was like with her. She didn't matter. You, from the first time we made love, you were irreplaceable. You're the love of my life, Cristina, and I never intended to hurt you…"
"I would very much appreciate having the rest of today off…"
He nodded his response, and she continued, "Could you stay with Derek for a few days? I need time away to know what's going to happen next…"
And with that, she left. He watched her leave with a glimmer of hope. She didn't tell him to go to hell outright—that was a good sign, right?
"You didn't know, did you?" Cristina's voice entered the room, but she was gripping the doorframe for dear life.
"Know about what?" Derek responded, worry etched in his face.
"Before you asked Megan to come here, you didn't know she and Burke had an affair, did you?"
Derek's face went white. "They… when?"
"Six years ago, when he had that surgery in New York…"
"Wait, six years ago?" Derek felt like he was going to be sick. There was no way…
"What's wrong?"
"I'm, um, I'm going to go check up on Grace… Stay here, okay? And stay relaxed, you know it's not good for you to worry…"
Cristina nodded, and took a seat. Izzie walked past the room, and within a second was back at the door. "Did he…"
"Yes, he told me. How long did you know?"
Izzie's eyes widened. There was a pain and anger in Cristina's voice that frightened Izzie. "I found out today. In the hall… She called out to him, tried to touch his shoulder. He jumped away from her, told her that what happened six years ago would never happen again, and that if that's what she came for she should leave. That she was interfering with his family and his job. That's when she said she wouldn't bother him, but that she was here for Derek… I pulled him aside and told him that now that I knew, he had to tell you. I wasn't going to be the keeper of that secret…"
Cristina just nodded, numb to the events unfolding. "It was everything to him, this baby, this engagement. Am I going let this one mistake of his ruin that?" She shook her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Does it always hurt this bad?"
Izzie rushed over to her, grabbing her hand. "Only at first. Only when you first know that you've been lied to and you're reeling from that. As to whether or not you're going to ruin this… that's not the issue. Do you still love him, after knowing what he's done?"
Cristina nodded, "Always. But I don't know if I can trust him now. He waited so long to say something… He's going to be a part of our baby's life, though…"
Izzie smiled at her friend. So much had changed since they first met at Seattle Grace. For starters, the interns were now residents—Cristina, George and Meredith were surgical residents, all with their groups of interns. Izzie had taken over the hole Addison had left behind and was working as an OB-GYN. She was gifted, just as Addison had said. She loved her co-workers and her interns. She loved her patients. She was happy where she was, and she knew she owed that joy to Addison.
"It's Burke, isn't it?"
"It's so good to see you again too, Derek…" Megan smiled at him, but the smile faded when she saw the look on his face.
"Don't mess around with this. He's my best friend… he has a right to know!"
"He doesn't want me to ruin his life, I won't. Don't ask me to, Derek. Let him have his happiness. He doesn't need to know."
"She's his daughter too. You've kept this from him for six years."
There was sadness in her eyes, but anger was set in her jaw. "You have no idea what keeping this has done to me, to my career, to my daughter! And how dare you try to tell me who Jayden's parents are. I raised her, on my own…"
"You didn't give him the opportunity. And how dare you take that chance from him. Jayden is his daughter, and if you don't tell him so help me I will. Don't make me paint you as the bad guy, Megan. This hospital is a giant rumor mill, and trust me, they're always looking for the newest villain."
"Is that a threat?"
"He's my family, Megan. That makes Jayden my niece. That makes her royalty in this hospital… you can't just rob her of half her history. Give him a chance to be the father you haven't let him be…"
"I'll think about it." Megan turned around, and stopped. "By the way, Grace's doctors were right. Her condition is permanent. I'm sorry, Derek."
"Hey, Grace! How's my favorite girl doing?"
"I'm fine, Uncle George. What's up?"
He took a seat next to her, and grasped her hand. "Well, I've got some bad news for you. Richard died last night, during surgery. He'd been kept on observation, and they finally went in to operate. His heart was damaged and he was weak—there was nothing they could do. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but I was the first to find out…" He sighed. "He wanted you to have something. I don't know what it is, but you were specifically named in his will. We'll know in a few days…"
"I don't want it…"
"You don't know what it is, honey…"
"I don't need to! I don't want whatever it is. I won't be able to see it, anyway. You can keep it, Uncle George."
"Hey, Grace… I have to steal away your uncle here for a second. Is that okay?" Derek was pale, and George was glad she couldn't see him looking so shaken.
George stepped into the hall, whispering, "What the hell happened to you?"
"Burke had an affair six years ago and has a baby he doesn't know about. Do you want to tell him?"
