The show Grey's Anatomy and the characters are the sole property of Shonda Rhimes and do not belong to me.

Chapter 17

Through the blinds at the window Burke could see Derek Shepherd sitting at the desk in the small office making notes. He seemed Focused on what he was doing and Burke wondered if this was a good time to interrupt him. He looked a little bit sad Burke thought, not the self-assured surgeon that he once considered his chief rival. In a way they both seemed battle weary

Time is supposed to heal all wounds burke thought, obviously in both our cases it hasn't.

He knocked on the door. He did not wait for an answer but opened the door and entered the room. Shepherd looked up annoyed as if to ask what the imposter wanted. When he saw that it was Burke he smiled, got out of his seat and stretched his hand forward to shake Burke's hand.

"Dr. Burke, I heard through the grape vine that you were back in town. I wondered how long it would take for you to grace us with your presence." Derek said smiling.

"You know Shepherd, people who save my life are allowed to call me Preston." Burke replied. "You're a busy man, every time I try to see you, I'm told that you're in surgery."

"Well, you know the drill, as long as you have surgery you don't have time to focus on your own problems."

"Hmm, but you can't run away from your problems. I have living proof of that."

Derek smiled, "I'm sure you do. Let's get out of here Preston, lets go to joe's. I really need a drink right now."

Burke considered the proposition for a moment. He was not really the bar type but he could tell that his former colleague was a little down. "Well lets go, I have to check on someone on three before we leave, it won't take long."

They walk toward Cristina's room together, making small talk as they go along. As they approach the room, Derek slowed down wanting Burke to go ahead alone. Burke got to the room but stood outside the door looking in. They were both asleep; mother and son. Derek came forward, wondering why Burke wasn't going in. He looked at the two dark-haired people fast asleep on the bed. He turned to Burke and say "Preston, you are the luckiest man I know."

At the bar Burke ran into some familiar faces from the hospital. He greeted joe who was very happy to see the man who once helped to save his life. "I hope you're back with us for good Dr. Burke" Joe shouted across the bar. Which seemed quite busy for early evening. "We'll see about that Joe" Burke answered. They ordered their drinks and Derek turned to Burke and asked. "So how is the hand?"

Burke held out his hand as if to show that there were no more tremors. "As good as new" he answered. "I never got the opportunity to thank you for all you did to save my hand. Thank you."

Derek stared into his glass before answering. "I'm a surgeon Preston, that's what I do, and in your case failing was not an option, I couldn't handle the guilt."

"I thought you'd welcome the opportunity to get rid of one of your rivals" Burke said jokingly

Derek smiled, "I thought about killing you, just didn't want to ruin my reputation."

"On the subject of guilt, how are things with you and Addison and you and Meredith?"

Derek looked at his watch. "How much time do you have?"

"That bad" Burke asked, not quite believing that Derek had lost both women in his life.

"Neither one of them wants anything to do with me and I can't say that I blame them." He swirled the drink around in his glass before he continued. "Addison was from the beginning. We were young and idealistic, ... we thought that together we could conquer the world... Then reality sunk in and you realize that your ideals and reality are two different things...I neglected her and she found solace in another man's arms." He took a sip of his drink before continuing, "Meredith, Meredith was like a breath of fresh air...I met her here, right at this bar...had no idea that we would be working together the very next day... If there was ever a case of love at first sight that was it...but of course I neglected to tell her one minor little detail, ... that I was married." He took another sip from his glass. "So, I lost them both. Meredith has her vet and Addison has McSteamy."

"Mc who?"

Derek laughed. "Mark, my former best friend."

Burke nodded his head in understanding.

"And that, my friend, is the story in a nut shell. You could learn something from this Preston."

"What's that?" Burke asked

"Don't ever take the people you love for granted." He called joe for another drink. "Or you'll end up with no one."

Burke contemplated what Derek said, he was still on his first drink while Derek was on his third.

"I think your lesson may have come too late."

"So what are you going to do?"

Burke took a sip from his drink, "about what?"

"About your family Preston, that's what they are you know. That picture perfect post card scene that we just left in bed across the street. That's your family."

Burke didn't answer. He called joe over to refill his glass.

Derek continued. "You're a lucky man Preston, cease the day."

"Luck had nothing to do with it Shepherd, I planned it perfectly, that's all." They both started to laugh at the absurdity of that comment.

"You knocked up the smartest intern at the hospital, twice, You some how got her to fall in love with you. You left her pregnant, she gave birth to your son, and I might add you won the genetic lottery because you have the cutest, smartest two year old I've ever known."

"Two and a half Burke interrupted, he makes a point of telling me that he is two and a half."

"Anyway, my point is" Derek continued "you took a chance on Cristina that could have ruined your career as well as hers. She put her career at risk by having that baby. You both got lucky and maybe there is a greater reason for it, but you don't have the time to figure out the deeper reasons why this happens. Accept the fact that you are extremely lucky. Put the perfect ending to that picture we left over there" he pointed toward the hospital. "There's one person missing from that picture Preston, you."

Burke drained his glass and looked at Derek, "If I had known that you talk so much when you drink Shepherd, I would have taken you here years ago. Ply you with drinks and let you tell me what it is between you and Richard why he felt he had to bring you here to compete with me. By the way did you always know that Christopher was mine?"

Derek laughed. "Stevie wonder could see that Christopher was yours."

" Where is your car keys Shepherd?"

"In my pocket, why?"

"Give them to me. You're not fit to drive. I'll take you home."

"You think that I'm drunk?"Derek felt insulted.

"No" Burke answered cautiously.

" But you have definitely had too much to drink and I almost lost someone very dear to me to someone who probably thought that he was also okay to drive. I don't want to be responsible for you killing anyone."

Derek reached in his pocket, took out his keys and handed them to Burke. "You're a good man Preston. How come we couldn't be friends when you worked here?"

Burke contemplated the question before answering, "Because like Richard once said, we're both arrogant surgeons."