Chapter 2- Though Little Things

They had gone up to the OR and Owen had kissed the unconscious Cristina, without minding any of the people around them. Watching, as she was wheeled through the doors. He and Meredith wanted to make their way to the gallery but were stopped by Bailey, standing squarely in the middle of the hall.

"I've told you this before Grey", her look moved over Owen, and then back to Meredith again. "She is your friend, and she has a right to privacy in this hospital". Straitening up, she gave a irritated jerk of her head, piercing look landing on Owen again. "I may have been caught unawares earlier, but that is not happening again". Forestalling the reaction she saw on their faces she continued, "No, an unspoken agreement to keep informed via Dr. Grey is not enough!".

Owen knew she was right, Cristina had been under influence after all. He also knew this coming hour was going to rip him to pieces. If he let it.

He just didn't know if he could stop that from happening.

Bailey could see it in his eyes, the raging fear. She liked this man, what she knew of him, she respected and liked. As for what she had just seen between him and Cristina.., she would have sworn it to be impossible, had she not seen it with her own eyes. Those two.., those two loved each other. And it was clear the thought of losing her, of something going wrong, was driving him out of his mind with fear.

She looked at Meredith, "Why don't you two go up to the cafeteria and get some breakfast, it's still early". Turning to Owen, she looked at him encouragingly, "I'll give you an update in half an hour and I'll know where to find you if there's news before then". She saw him struggle, looking down, uncertain whether he could get his feet to move away. "She's my girl too, you know? ". Her voice was warm now, "She was my intern, I'll take good care of her, the best".

His eyes found hers and he considered for a moment, seeming to way her in his mind. Then he nodded, "Half an hour, I'll be here", his voice come out croaky and he gave the tiniest of smiles at the sound of it. Bailey nodded too, then, with a look at Meredith, she turned and disappeared through the doors.

Taking a deep breath, Owen turned around and faced Meredith Grey. She was looking at him with a hesitant expression on her face, and he tried to smile but felt his lips pull into a grimace.

That seemed to seal the deal for her somehow. "She'll be fine, let's get some coffee". She turned around but and waited for him to come to her side before walking off to the place with the food together.

****

They'd gotten coffee and taken a table along the wall. Meredith could feel his growing tension and heard Cristina's words from a few minutes earlier repeat in her head, calling him the love of her life. She had known something was up, but she'd expected dirty sex, followed by some darkness and lots of twists, that could maybe lead to something resembling a relationship. Some day, far in the future. To hear her friend contemplate marriage, even in that druggie, joking way, to hear her tell this man she loved him as if it was the most natural thing in the world….had her wondering who, exactly, was on drugs here?

Of course it didn't have to mean that the world was coming to an end, but she'd be keeping her eyes open! The first frog she saw hitting the ground, and she was outta here! ..Was all she was saying.

And she didn't even know this guy!

Her agitation and his tension now combined to get her talking and she just opened her mouth and started.

"Don't worry so much". He stopped fidgeting and looked at her, "Excuse me?".

"Don't worry so much", Meredith repeated, "She said she loves you, right?". He looked at her in a not-understanding way, so she elaborated. "Cristina would never leave you, not when you love her and she loves you". "She's loyal to a fault, you know".

He nodded, appreciating the comfort she was trying to give him. If only loyalty would be enough to keep a human being alive! He shook his head, refusing to let the images arise.

"I'm her Person, did you know that?', it came from across the table, in a slightly defiant tone. Grateful for the distraction he focused on Dr. Grey again, she was fixing him with narrowed eyes he saw. "I know, I saw you two fight". That made her eyes turn to slits, "What is that supposed to mean?!". He kept his voice gentle, "only people who love each other fight like that, only some one you love can hurt you with a few words". Meredith looked down, remembering the jab she'd given her friend, right in front of this man. She knew she'd hurt her Cristina that day.

"Yes, she's my Person, and I love her", she couldn't help making a face while she said it, and Owen felt his lips twitch. These two were really made for each other, though little things that they were.

The twitch became a full blown smile at the thought of the expression on Cristina's face if he'd ever call her that out loud.

Meredith looked up and catching the smile, she understood what drew her friend to this man. This smile erased the sombre, pained figure that barked commands, managing the trauma unit with grim expertise. In it's place was a devastatingly handsome man, with a sparkle in his blue, blue eyes, that told her who he was thinking about.

"And now, you love her too", it was not so much a question, as it was an assertion, and he met her eyes, still not speaking.

"You don't seem very shiny or happy", and he felt his face fall, unable to deny the charge.

"That should definitively help", Meredith went on, as if talking to herself.

Taken aback, Owen waited for what was to come, a part of him immensely enjoying the fact that his life was now normal enough for him to get the Best-Friend speech.

"You're not happy", she ticked of the points on her fingers, "You're not Cardio, which is good". She gave him an empathic look, "Seriously good, because cardio is her thing and people' ll start to really talk this time". Not giving him the chance to react, even though he showed no signs of wanting to, she looked away and continued. "You're hot and badass enough for her", he felt the smile come back as she rolled her eyes. "that makes you a hot, twisty, non cardio attending, but with all the rest that is going on in this place, the Chief could hardly object".

Now her look turned very suspicious, fixing him harder than ever before, "What's the deal here?". "Logic has it, something must be wrong with you, maybe you're a secret sexist?, you want six children and force Cristina to home school all of them? His eyes widened in amused surprise. "Want your mother to live with you once you're married?', that sobered him right up again. "Come on, you might as well tell me right away and save us both a lot of trouble".

He understood she was serious now.

"We may have fought, and I may have hurt her. But I'll be damned if I'm going to let any one else hurt her, especially like that". He thought he knew what she meant, and his idea was confirmed by the words that followed. "You heard her! That asshole pushed her all the way to the altar before he finally realised she couldn't give him what he wanted".

She had his full attention and realised, she shouldn't say anything more about Burke, that wasn't the issue here anyway, just an aggravating circumstance.

She frowned, "I don't know how you..", pausing, she tried anew.

"I didn't think that I would ever hear her tell a man she loves him". She hesitated a moment, then decided to go on, "I've never heard her say it before. I don't care how drugged up she was, she had to mean it to say it".

At her words, Owen felt an immense joy expanding around his heart, but still he kept silent, waiting to hear if there was more.

"You can't leave her, or change her, or take her for granted", her voice became a little shrill, as she realised those assurances were impossible to give. She felt she should explain. "She is loyal, and brave". "She doesn't lie or cheat, she has high standards, please don't disappoint her".

He opened his mouth, not sure what he was going to say. "I..", what was there but the truth?

"I love her, I promised her forty years, and I keep my promises".

Meredith was flabbergasted, and at the same time, completely sure he was telling the truth. She stared at him for a couple of seconds, before breaking into a smile, and reaching for her coffee. "I guess I'd better get used to you, in that case". She leaned back, relaxing, and he did the same. For a moment they sat there, feeling as though they had come to an understanding.

Then the reality hit him and he nearly dislocated his shoulder, jerking his arm towards his body to check his watch. A full twenty-three minutes had passed already! Meredith had checked her watch as well and got up, "We'll try and walk real slow, yeah?". He nodded "After you Dr. Grey". She didn't move however, "I'm afraid it's Meredith now, Owen".

It felt very weird to be addressed as such, and she noticed. "I won't call you that in work situations, but if we're going to be loving the same person for the next forty years, you'll have to call me Meredith, or it'll just get creepy".

He shrugged of his unease. Another part of him, reeled back into this world. Another barrier, the fall of which, would leave him that much more exposed.

But this was Cristina's person, and there shouldn't be any barriers in her inner circle. No good for him either, to hide forever, standing on the sidelines. So he smiled, and gestured; "After you, Meredith.