A/N: This chapter is a THROWBACK chapter. In this chapter we are going back to Burktina's wedding day. I know not everyone loves a flashback chapter, but I am a huge fan of Scandal and I really enjoy the occasional flashback episodes they did on the show, that's why I keep writing throwbacks...Anyway, if you find this chapter bothering you, feel free to skip it, the fashbacks have nothing to do with the present timeline :D


Chapter 8

2007 Intern's Locker Room, Seattle Grace Hospital, Seattle

"Cristina! What are you doing here! I thought the wedding is starting in… erm, 2 hours?" Carrying George's tuxedo, Callie rushed into the intern's locker room and found Izzie and Meredith working on Cristina's face.

"I know I have to be there. But MAMA took my eyebrows and I am so not walking down the aisle without my eyebrows."

"So you two are drawing her eyebrows. Huh." Callie leaned forward to observe Izzie's work, apparently she is surprised by how good Izzie is with makeup.

"Okay, I finished with Cristina. Who's next?" Izzie handed Cristina a mirror and asked cheerfully. Although she is still worrying about her relationship with George, weddings can always cheer her up.

"You can do Meredith's first, she hasn't even get dressed. Where is George by the way?"

"Haha, how would I know." The three girls shot Izzie a suspicious glare, as Izzie trying very hard to act like guilt-free.

"I bumped into Bambi on the way down here. He mentioned something about getting our intern exam results at the Chief's office." Alex pulled his scrub shirt off and answered.

"They got our results already?" Cristina, who has been unusually quiet since her eyebrows been shaved off, asked.

"No, you have to go. You are going to be late! You don't want to be late at your own wedding right? Meredith, grab her arms and let's go." Izzie hopped off the bench and said. Meredith nodded and started pulling Cristina's arm.

"Fine! I will go now. Callie, are you going to wait here for George? Make sure he text me my results. Thanks."

"Just go to your wedding. It's not like you are going to fail or anything." Alex smirked as Izzie helped him with his tie. "Hey Grey, can I catch a ride with you three?"


Wedding Chapel, Seattle

Izzie peeked into the chapel and reported to Cristina and Meredith.

"Cristina! Don't worry. You still have time to rewrite your vows! Burke isn't here yet, he must be caught in the surgery."

"I scrubbed off my vows! What should I do!" Cristina screamed at her bridesmaids anxiously.

"Dude, just try to remember what you wrote the first time. How hard can it be? You already wrote the first one."

"I didn't write the vow. Meredith and Callie did." Cristina sighed and collapsed on a chair nearby. "Alright, Izzie, come up with something."

"How am I supposed to tell you what to write in your vow?"

"You just did it last night! Seriously Izzie, just give me some of those chick flick crap, something like I can't breathe without him or my heart won't beat without him. But elaborate. Make it sound… realistic."

"Actually, don't say something about your heart stop beating. Burke's vow kind of used that already… oops." Meredith and Callie looked at Izzie angrily as she just told Cristina Burke's vow.

"Izzie! You are not supposed to tell her Burke's vow! Okay, let us all calm down for a second and think. Cristina, what do you think about this wedding?"

"Uh… annoying? Dumb?"

"Pretend you are… um… dying. Pretend you are dying and this is the last thing you can say to Burke. What would you say?" Callie step forward and grabbed Cristina's hand. She stared at her with her beautiful eyes, Cristina slowly calmed down and an idea hit her.

"Oh! Got it! Someone give me a pen?" Cristina took the pen Alex handed her and ran off to a corner, started working on her vow.

"Meredith? Can I talk to you for a second? Privately." Derek's voice appeared suddenly. Meredith turned around and replied coldly, apparently she is still angry for him breaking up with her in the locker room.

"If you want to say something to me, say it here. I am sure Izzie, Alex and Callie won't mind hearing what you have to say." The three of them immediately turned their head away from the couple. But the atmosphere in the room is still tense. Derek bite his lips nervously, when he finally sighed and decided to talk, Addison opened the door and asked,

"Burke is still not here? Does Cristina knows where is he?"

"What do you mean by Burke is still not here?" Meredith asked suspiciously. Hey eyes widen as she figured out something, "So he is not caught up in surgery but he didn't show up… Wait, do you think he…"

Derek and Addison exchanged a glare and nodded.

"When we scrubbed out from surgery, he asked me something about… Like, can a marriage work if one person wants it more than the other." Addison added, "It sounds like he's really bothered. But he had that beautiful vow all written! I didn't think he would really ditch his wedding so I didn't question him…"

"Have you guys tried his cell? Or tried to page him? Maybe he is still in the hospital."

"Good thinking Alex, of course we did. Looks like he switched off the both. So we think Cristina may know where he would go."

"Cristina may know what?" Cristina's voice joined the conversation unexpectedly and gave everyone a scare. Addison gave Derek a look, warning him not to say a word. But Derek didn't care about her warning and said, "Cristina. Burke isn't here yet and we can't contact him. We are thinking, maybe, he… Um, so we wanted to see if, uh, maybe you will know where he is."

Cristina blinked blankly, trying to comprehend what Derek just said. She is not a moron, of course she can put two and two together: he is bailing on her. How dare him! She spent the past month preparing for this stupid ceremony, which she could spent on studying for exam; she put on a white, fluffy wedding dress with sequin and lace on it; she wore that choking family choker and allowed his mama shave off her eyebrows! She sacrificed so much for him and he is trying to dump her? No freaking way! At least she has to kick his ass hard before calling off the wedding!

"Izzie, could you give me a ride back to the hospital? I think I know where Burke would be."

"Hey! I can give you a ride! I am your maid of honour! I should be doing this!" Meredith protested to Cristina. She sure as hell doesn't want to spend time with Derek.

"Exactly. You are my maid of honour, you should stay here with the best man! So someone can update the guest if anything happened." Cristina patted her friend's hand gently. "Plus, we don't need another couple breaking up today."

"Erm, Callie, maybe we should go with them. In case they need some help." Addison adjusted her necklace and asked. Callie nodded immediately and followed Izzie to the car.

"Wait! Take me with you please. I am not going to be with those two." Alex grabbed Addison's arm and pleaded. He looked oddly sincere, which nearly made her giggle. Addison looked at Meredith and Derek, who are trying to keep distance from each other, and agreed. After all, it is inhumane to let anyone stuck between those two.


3/F Nurse's Station, SGH

"Cristina, where do you think he is?"

"I am not sure either. You guys can just… go and search everywhere. We will keep in contact." Cristina said to her friends before she held her annoyingly long train in her fist and left. Actually, she knows exactly where Burke would be. There's only one place he would go on this day in this hospital.

She knocked gently on the door of an on-call room, but no one answered. She braced up and twisted the door knob. There he is, sitting at the bottom bulk, surprised by her arrival.

He smiled at her faintly, and quickly looked away, refusing to have eye contact with her. He triggered Cristina's anger as she slammed the door behind her and stand in front of him.

"Are you… are you breaking up with me? If you are, all you have to do is to give me a signal, a text maybe, even better? A conversation, face to face. You just have to tell me and I will disappear right away. But you don't get to stood me up in a freaking wedding chapel!"

She wiped off a tear at the corner of her eyes and continued, "Damn it. See what I did for you? I wore a dress for you, I put on make-up and high heels and your family choker for you. I did all these because you want it. So tell me, which part is upsetting you? Tell me. We still have time to fix it."

"This is exactly what I think is wrong. Cristina, you don't want this. You never want any of these. You did these for me, to make me happy. But Cristina, are you happy? If I am a good man, a man who loves you and cherishes you, I should free you from all these suffering. I should set you free. I should not force you to become someone you aren't. I am offering you a way out. Go. You are free now."

Cristina stared at Burke blankly. Then she began to laugh, with tears forming in her eyes.

"Burke. Preston… You think I changed myself to please you? Oh come on. I admit. I hated all these wedding ceremony crap, but I do want a marriage. I want to marry you, I just don't want to make a big fuss about it. And yes I agreed to a huge wedding because you want it, does it makes me a different person?

"I once told the chief that I've got soft since I came to Seattle. I wanted the old me back, the Cristina Yang who doesn't give a crap about anyone, who is focused and competitive… Then I realised, that is not me going soft, that is me becoming more humane. And it is all because of you. You make me a better person. You taught me how to love, to care and to compromise. I am compromising because it pleases you, and I get happy when you are happy.
"I don't think I am suffering, because… Because it is worthwhile if it makes you grin like a four years old. That is supposed to be my vow. But whatever, it's not like I still need it or something."

Cristina finished her speech and dried her cheeks with the back of her hand. She hold the train of her gown and walks toward to door, but Burke grabbed her wrist before she can touch the door knob. Her body froze when his hand touched her skin, and before she can react, Burke pulled her into his arms from behind. She struggled to get away from him, yet he is so much stronger than her. Locked in his embrace, Cristina gave up struggling and allow him to hug her tightly.

"I… never know all of these. I am sorry."

"Of course, because you always think you are right."

"I am really, really sorry. I always think that I am the one who loves more. I…"

"Okay okay, we know that. Can we please focus on what's important now?" Before Burke can finish his sentence, Callie and Addison broke into the room, both looking annoyed.

"How long have you two been listening to us?"

"Erm, since you say you told the chief that…"

"What do you two want actually?" Watching Cristina's cheeks blushed, Burke is kind enough to stop Callie from giggling like a school girl.

"Preston Burke! It's your freaking wedding day! Your guests are still waiting at the chapel!"

"Oh right. Do you… still want to go get married?" Cristina asked timidly. Burke held her hand in his palms and smiled at her.

"Of course. But… we are not going to the chapel."

"What?"


City Hall, Seattle

"This is absurd! How can they just change the location suddenly on the wedding day?" Mama Burke, Jane, complained as she got off the car.

"Why does Cristina always has to be such an unpleasant girl?" Helen sighed and asked her husband, who just shrugged and led his wife into the city hall.

Once Meredith saw Izzie, she immediately rushed to Izzie's side and whispered,

"What the hell is going on! Their moms nearly strangled me when I ask them to come with me!"

"I am sorry, but a maid of honour is supposed to handle cranky moms!" Izzie blinked innocently, but it had no effect on Meredith's anger. "Honestly, I don't know what happened either. They sort of stuffed me into a car without explaining."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the wedding of Preston Burke and Cristina Yang. Preston, Cristina, do you have a vow?"

"Everyone, I am sorry for the sudden change of plans. And I do have something to say. As some of you here might know, I actually have a vow prepared. A vow that made one of my friends wanted me to dump my bride." He chuckled as he saw Addison's face blushed, "Cristina, I could promise to hold you and to cherish you. I could promise to be there in sickness and in health. I could say 'till death do us part. But I won't. Those vows are for optimistic couples. The ones full of hope. And I do not stand here, on my wedding day, optimistic or full of hope. I am not optimistic, I am not hopeful. I am sure, I am steady, and I know."

"I am a heart man: I take them apart, I put them back together. I hold them in my hands. I am a heart man. So this, I am sure. You are my partner, my lover, my very best friend. My heart, my heart, beats for you. And on this day, the day of my wedding, I promise you this: I promise you to lay my heart in the palm of your hand. I promise you me."

Burke looked at his mother anxiously, worried that he would see disappointment on her face. Instead, Jane is smiling warmly at her son, seemed to be touched by Burke's vow while Helen is busy wiping her tears with a handkerchief.

"So, please sign here on your wedding certificate and exchange your rings." The commissioner handed Burke and Cristina a pen, the couple exchanged a glance before signing their names on the certificate.

"And here I present to you, Mr and Mrs Preston Burke. You may now kiss the bride."

As Burke leaned his body towards Cristina, he whispered into her ear, "You are supposed to weep because you are so touched."

"In your dreams." She whispered back with a smile on her face before catching his lips with hers.