"Okay, let's go over the game again," Owen coaches as they walk to the park.
"The centre passes the ball to the quarterback who throws it to – to a receiver who tries to get a touchdown?" Cristina pauses. "And touchdowns are a good thing for the team I'm on."
"You got it!" He smiles down at her as they arrive. Jon and Charlie herd the grandchildren to the picnic tables and playground. Everyone else heads for the open play area.
"I have an idea for teams – men versus women," Cara Hunt suggests slyly. "I think Cristina looks scrappy!"
Everyone laughs as Cristina shrugs. "If you're willing to take on a rookie, sure. Oh stop laughing, Owen."
"Owen, are you laughing because Cara's right or because she's wrong?" Dylan asks.
"Cara's right," Owen smiles as he kisses Cristina's forehead before she goes off to huddle with the other women. "Be on your guard, men."
**
A couple of hours later, the score is tied. The teams huddle.
"Okay, we have the ball this round. Michi, you be the centre, Cara is quarterback, and she tosses to Amanda," Lauren decides. "And Cristina, our scrappy little rookie, will give the guys hell."
Cristina laughs. This has been a lot more fun than she expected. Although she is exhausted from playing sports for the first time in years.
They bump fists and go into position. Michi passes to Cara as planned, but four men converge in front of Amanda. Cara turns around and snaps the ball to Cristina, who is surprised but manages to catch it. She turns towards the end zone, with Cam running after her. She feels her sneaker land the wrong way, and trips, dropping the ball, and falling face first, then Cam trips on her and lands on top of her, pushing her face into the dirt by accident.
"Ow!" she laughs, turning her head away from the dirt and towards the players, and Cam laughs on top of her, which makes her laugh again. Then she tastes blood.
"Off her. Now!" Owen barks out of nowhere. "I said NOW, damn it!" Cristina feels Cam's weight lifting off of her. She rolls over and stops smiling as she sees Owen is pulling Cam off of her with a dark expression. He reaches for her face. "Your nose is bleeding."
Cristina notices that everyone is silent and staring at Owen in shock. Cam says, "It was an accident, sorry Cristina."
"It's okay, Cam," she says as Owen gingerly touches her nose. "Owen, I just tripped, and then he tripped on me. It was an accident, that's all. And my nose is not broken, stop touching it!"
He continues his examination as Charlie runs up with some napkins. "Why don't you go help Dad with setting the tables or keep an eye on the kids?" she suggests to the players. They disperse, glancing back in confusion.
"Looks like a simple nosebleed," Charlie observes softly. "Here, sit up and tilt your head back."
Cristina lets Owen and Charlie pull her to a sitting position, and tilts her head back. Owen silently starts cleaning up her face with the napkins.
"I'll go get some water to help with that," Charlie decides. She claps Owen on the shoulder before walking away. "She's all right, it was just an accident."
"Owen, I tripped over my own feet," Cristina says. She lowers her voice. "Talk to me."
He sighs. "I reacted like a jerk, didn't I?"
"Yes. What happened?"
"I saw blood on your face and it triggered something."
"What?"
"My saviour complex."
"Oh that." She punches his shoulder playfully. "That gets you into a lot of trouble."
Charlie comes back with a bottle of water. Owen stands up. "Mom, can you help Cristina? I need to go talk with Cam."
"Of course." Charlie dampens a napkin and starts washing Cristina's face. She asks quietly, "Does he act like that every time he sees blood?"
"No," Cristina says. "No, that was new." She tries to make light of it. "He can be overprotective of me, always trying to be the hero rescuing the princess. I'm always telling him to knock it off. He knows he over-reacted."
"That's good," Charlie says. "There, it looks your nose has stopped bleeding and I got all the dirt and blood off of your face. Time for a burger."
"Thanks Charlie." Cristina tilts her head forward, holding a napkin under her nose just in case. "I think I'm good."
**
After a barbecue supper, and gifts for Charlie, they start to pack up and go home. Cristina is lost in thought, so Owen takes her aside to show her the pond on the other side of the park.
"So, nosebleed aside, how did you like your first game of touch football?"
"It was awesome. Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Are you okay?" he asks.
She blurts out, "Owen, you put my name with yours on the tag on your mother's present."
"So? You didn't like the book?"
"No, it's a good choice." She sighs. "It makes us sound like an official couple. 'Owen and Cristina'".
He looks at her carefully. "Is that a problem?"
"Oh! No," she says, realizing that she's sending out the wrong message. "This is coming out all wrong, I suck at talking about relationships." She takes a deep breath, as he waits with an amused expression. "I wouldn't say that you are telling me who or what I should be, you just – you just know things about me, some things I don't even know. Like perhaps we are 'Owen and Cristina', I just never thought of us that way, and you knew that I'm someone who can kick ass in touch football."
"Ah," he nods. "I think I understand. And yes, you can kick ass. Impressive work, Yang, scaring the crap out of us manly men."
"Can we play tomorrow? If my muscles recover from today."
"I'm not sure we're recovered from you chasing us all over the field. You are scrappy."
"That, I knew."
"Let's go help clean up," he says, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
**
Back at the house, Ethan and Michi announce that they have a surprise gift that they're saving for right before the kids go to bed. That helps the kids get through their baths faster as the grownups continue to clean up.
"Mom, where is your camera?" Owen asks, coming into the kitchen as Charlie and Cristina are at the sink.
"In the living room, what do you want a picture of?"
"Cristina washing dishes!" He laughs and jumps out of the way as she flings a handful of suds at him. He runs out of the room as she chases him, and is stopped by a couple of brothers in the hall. She catches up to him and grabs him from behind and they laugh and fall into the living room, and end up on the couch in a howling heap, managing to avoid falling on everyone else in the room.
"Are you sure you're not getting married?" Amanda asks with a smirk.
"Stop that," Cristina laughs, trying to catch her breath. "No marriage talk!"
"Shame! We want you on our team all the time, Cristina."
"Okay everybody, come out to the back yard!" Ethan shouts. Owen and Cristina stay on the couch, still laughing, as the others start to leave.
"I like your laugh," Owen says in Cristina's ear.
"I like that you make me laugh," she says, leaning back into his arms. "This has been a great day."
"I'm glad you came."
"Me too. What do you think is happening outside?"
"I don't know, but let's go see." They reluctantly part and head towards the back door, vaguely hearing Ethan count down to something.
"What's that popping sound?" Cristina wonders, going to a window. "Sounds like - oh! Firecrackers! Come see!"
She turns around and sees an Owen that she's never seen, face white, eyes dark, and trembling with rage. "Owen?"
"Stop it," he growls. "Stop it!"
"Owen!" she gasps, as he suddenly bolts past her and pulls the door open.
"STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" Owen yells, as Cristina runs after him. "STOP IT!"
"Dude, chill," Ethan says, turning towards them, holding more firecrackers. "It's just –" He's cut off as Owen punches him, knocking him to the ground.
Everyone stares in shock at Owen, who is visibly struggling for control. He turns around and runs for the street. Dylan and Lauren start herding the children back into the house as Charlie bends over to check on Ethan, and everyone else turns to Cristina for an explanation.
"It was the sound," Cristina says grimly. "The firecrackers sounded like gunfire from inside and he didn't know what was making the sound and it triggered him."
"Oh shit!" Ethan swears, rubbing his jaw. "I'm a goddamned idiot."
"You didn't know," Charlie says. "You didn't know he'd be triggered, Ethan."
"I'm sorry Cristina," Ethan says, as Cam and Bryan help him up. "I really wasn't thinking about Owen and I screwed up."
Cristina nods to Ethan. "I know you didn't mean it. Sorry you got punched."
"Oh my god, poor Owen," Cara whispers. "Is this what life is like for him now?"
Cristina looks toward the street where Owen went.
"Better go after him," Jon says softly, clasping Cristina's shoulder. "I think you know him best now." He smiles sadly down at her. "He probably went to the park."
She looks him straight in the eye and says, "I'll find him."