A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little bit shorter than usual - I think it still packs a punch as far as content is concerned, and I wanted to get it up before you all had to wait any longer. Updates may be a bit slower for a few days - I'm starting jury duty tomorrow, and I tend to get picked for trials, so if that happens, I sadly won't have as much time to write as I normally do. Fortunately, I'm one of the few people I know who actually enjoy jury duty, so at least I won't be bored!
"Lexie! Have you seen my hairbrush?" Meredith shouted down the stairs while she was getting ready for her latest date with Derek. It had been over two months since they had officially gotten back together, and even Meredith was surprised at how smoothly things seemed to be going for them. To her, it felt as if maybe, just maybe things were finally falling into place in her life. She just wished she could stop wondering when the other shoe was going to drop.
"Sorry, I borrowed it this morning," Lexie said, sticking her head in the door and holding out the brush. "I've got to run now, Pierce is here. You alright by yourself?"
"I'll be fine, Lexie," Meredith assured her. "Besides, Derek will be here soon, so it's not like I'll even be here that long."
"Alright, well, have fun tonight," Lexie said as she dashed down the stairs. Meredith cringed slightly as she heard her crash into a table. "I'm alright!" she shouted up the stairs.
Meredith shook her head as she heard the door slam shut behind her sister. Some days she wondered how a girl as accident-prone as Lexie managed to hold her hands so steady in the OR.
When the doorbell rang a few minutes later, Meredith smiled as she headed down the stairs, assuming that Lexie had, once again, either forgotten her keys or managed to lock them in the car.
"Cristina?" she asked in surprise as she opened the door. "What are you doing here? Everyone else is at the hospital, and I've got a date with Derek in just a few minutes."
"McDreamy can wait," Cristina said, pushing past Meredith into the living room, ignoring her friend's protests. "Now, red or blue?"
"Um, red or blue what?" Meredith asked, quickly shutting the door and following Cristina into the living room.
Cristina sighed as she reached into the large shopping bag she was carrying and pulled out a red top and a blue top, along with a pair of skinny jeans. "Red or blue?" she repeated.
"It depends," Meredith said. "What are you wearing it for?"
"Oh, come on," Cristina snapped. "It's not rocket science, Meredith, just pick one."
"They're completely different looks," Meredith said. "I can't pick unless you tell me where you'll be wearing this outfit."
"Oh for crying out loud," Cristina sighed. "This isn't a night with the president, Mer, it's just dinner with coffee shop guy."
"Coffee shop guy?" Meredith asked in confusion. "Hold it right there…Cristina Yang, are you going on a date?"
"It is not a date," Cristina insisted.
"What is it then?" Meredith asked.
"Just dinner," Cristina said. "It is just dinner."
"Uh huh," Meredith mused. "And who'll be paying for this dinner?"
"I guess he is," Cristina said. "But that doesn't make it a date, I buy your dinner sometimes."
"Are you going to kiss him?" Meredith asked.
"That is none of your business," Cristina said.
"You are so going out on a date," Meredith laughed.
"It is not a date," Cristina insisted.
"Is to," Meredith argued.
"Fine, it's a date," Cristina admitted. "Whatever. Don't make a big deal. Just pick a damn shirt, will you?"
Meredith was about to make another comment, but was interrupted by the doorbell. "That's probably Derek," she said. "Go upstairs and put the jeans and the red one on, I want to see it. I'll be up in just a minute."
Cristina nodded and trudged up the stairs, mumbling the whole way about the ridiculousness of the evening.
"Hi," Meredith said as she opened the door. "Why don't you come in? I'm going to be a little while longer."
"Is everything alright?" Derek asked.
"Oh yeah, things are fine," Meredith said. "Cristina's just upstairs having a bit of a fashion emergency."
Derek looked at Meredith in confusion. "Mer, I'm fairly certain that Cristina isn't the type of woman who has fashion emergencies."
"Keep your eyes open, I'm fairly certain the apocalypse is near," Meredith laughed. "Just wait in the living room, I'll try to make this quick."
"This is a first date, right?" Meredith asked as she walked into her bedroom to find Cristina looking at her reflection in the mirror.
"Of course it is," Cristina said.
"Wear the blue," Meredith said. "The red's too low cut for a first date. And please tell me you brought other shoes."
"What's wrong with my shoes?" Cristina asked indignantly.
"You can't wear sneakers with an outfit like that," Meredith said, stepping into her closet and digging through a pile of shoes. "Here," she said, producing a pair of black stiletto boots. "Wear these, I don't get any use out of them these days."
"I'm going to kill myself in these," Cristina grumbled, pulling off the red shirt and quickly pulling on the blue. "Better?" she asked as she slipped into the boots.
"Much better," Meredith agreed. "So, tell me all about coffee shop guy."
"No," Cristina said. "We don't do the talking thing, remember?"
"Fine," Meredith said, pulling out her cell phone and dialing a number.
"What are you doing?" Cristina asked.
"Calling Izzie to let her know that you want her to come over and do your hair and makeup," Meredith said. "Unless you'd rather just talk to me."
"You wouldn't dare," Cristina hissed.
"Hi Izzie," Meredith said cheerily. "How's work?"
"Fine!" Cristina shouted. "Hang up the damn phone and we'll talk."
"Got to run, Izzie," Meredith said. "Cristina's having a breakdown. Talk to you later."
"What do you want to know?" Cristina asked.
"Does he have a name?" Meredith asked.
"Rick Dalley."
"And how did you two meet?" Meredith asked. "Obviously, there's a coffee shop involved somewhere along the line."
"We met at that coffee shop down the street from my apartment," Cristina said.
"Ooh, the place with the amazing blueberry scones?" Meredith asked.
"Yes," Cristina said. "Now, stop interrupting or I won't talk."
"Sorry," Meredith muttered.
"Anyway, I was on cardio that day," Cristina said. "And that stupid fancy-schmancy coffee maker Burke spent so much money on broke, again. So I had to go out of my way to get coffee at that shop, which meant that I was running late. I ran into him on my way out the door."
"Ran into him?" Meredith asked.
"Spilled my coffee all down the front of his white shirt," Cristina said. "I gave him my number so he could call me when he had the dry cleaning bill and then I left. We didn't even have an actual conversation, but two days later he called and asked me out. He called every day for a week before I said yes just to get him to shut up."
"When was this?" Meredith asked.
"Three weeks ago," Cristina said.
"What the hell took you so long to go on the first date?" Meredith laughed. "I mean, three weeks?"
"We both have very busy schedules," Cristina said. "He understands."
"What does he do that makes him so understanding?" Meredith asked. "Is he a surgeon?"
"He is," Cristina confirmed.
"Do I know him?" Meredith asked. "Does he work at Seattle Grace?"
Cristina shook her head. "Mercy West."
"What was he doing at a coffee shop near your apartment?" Meredith asked. "That's no where near Mercy West."
"His place was being treated for termites," Cristina said. "He was staying with his brother for a few days."
"I see," Meredith said. "And let me guess, he's a cardio attending, right?"
"Wrong," Cristina said. "Do you really think I'm that predictable?"
"Um, yes," Meredith said.
"I think I should be insulted," Cristina pouted.
"Let's look at the evidence," Meredith said. "You've had what, two or three serious relationships in your life? You dated Colin Marlow for three years. You nearly married Preston Burke. You seem to have a thing for cardio guys."
"And look where that got me," Cristina said. "Besides, I don't need to date a cardio god now, I'm only 4 days away from being on my way to becoming one myself."
"Okay, so he's not in cardio," Meredith said. "What exactly does the good doctor specialize in? He is still an attending, I'm guessing."
"You suck at guessing," Cristina smirked. "He's a fourth year resident, thank you very much. He's specializing in pediatric surgery."
"Pediatrics?" Meredith asked in shock. "Who are you and what have you done with Cristina Yang?"
"Oh shut up and zip the back of this shirt up, would you?" Cristina said.
Derek sat in the living room, listening to Meredith and Cristina moving around upstairs and wondering just what the two of them were up to.
After what seemed like hours, Derek's wait was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. He heard the noise upstairs increase almost immediately, which only piqued his curiosity further. Assuming it was just one of Meredith's roommates who had forgotten their keys, Derek walked into the entryway and opened the door.
"Can I help you?" Derek asked as he looked at the unfamiliar man now standing on Meredith's front porch.
"I'm looking for Cristina," the man said. "Is she here?"
"Um, I think she's upstairs right now, but I can let her know that you're here," Derek said as he turned toward the stairs, only to come face to face with Cristina.
"Rick, that's McDreamy," Cristina said as she pushed past him. "Don't talk to him, he's an ass."
"Hey, that's my boyfriend you're talking about!" Meredith protested as she joined Cristina in the entryway.
"Sorry, Mer, boyfriend or not, I still think he's a pompous ass," Cristina said. "Come on, Rick, let's go."
"Is Cristina ever going to think I'm anything other than an ass?" Derek asked as Meredith stood in the doorway watching Cristina and Rick drive away on his motorcycle.
"Probably not," Meredith shrugged. "But it's Cristina, she doesn't like anyone, so I wouldn't take it too personally."
"She likes you," Derek said.
"What can I say?" Meredith said. "She's my person. We get each other…well, sometimes we get each other. And she doesn't hate you, which is good. She's just sort of ambivalent, that's all. If she hated you, you'd really know it."
"It's time, it's time, it's finally time!" Cristina shouted as she waltzed into Meredith's kitchen the following Tuesday.
Izzie laughed as she grabbed another mug and poured Cristina a cup of coffee. "Not that you need the caffeine," she remarked as she handed the mug to Cristina.
"Oh come on, Barbie," Cristina scoffed. "Today of all days I might excuse you being perky, so perk up a little. Today is the first day of the rest of our careers!"
"Only you would get this excited about declaring," Alex grumbled as he trudged into the kitchen, still barely awake.
"Where's Meredith?" Cristina asked as she looked around. "Don't tell me I've got to wake her up."
"It's five in the morning," Lexie whined as she walked into the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee pot. "Sane people sleep in when they don't have to get up at this hour. Meredith is sane."
"No she's not, she's upstairs talking on her phone," Alex pointed out. As if to prove the point, Meredith came up from behind him, lightly pushing him out of her way as she made her way into the kitchen, her phone still pressed firmly to her ear.
"No, Mike, I need two for both," Meredith said, her voice dripping with frustration.
"Who's she talking to?" Cristina asked, earning confused shrugs from the other residents.
Meredith sighed heavily at whatever she heard on the other end of the line. "Look, I didn't want to have to bring it up, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to call in the holidays...let's say, one Thanksgiving and that awful weekend when your mother showed up unexpectedly."
"What the hell is she taking about?" Alex asked.
"Don't look at me," Cristina said dismissively. "I don't know what's going on."
"Mike, I've never asked you for anything for what I did, and I wouldn't ask now if it wasn't ridiculously important," Meredith said, still on the phone. "Yes, I know what I'm asking is a lot, but I also know you can pull it off if you really want to. Just give me yours, you don't even like New York."
"You will?" Meredith said excitedly. "Mike, you're the greatest. I'll give you a call to work out the details if they take the pennant. Thank you so much."
"Who's Mike?" Cristina asked as Meredith hung up the phone.
"Just a guy I used to work with in Boston," Meredith shrugged.
"And what exactly is Mike giving you that's so important?" Lexie asked.
Meredith smiled. "The perfect birthday present for Derek."
"Are they out yet?" Debbie asked as she walked up behind the nurses' station where Meredith, Lexie and George were waiting for their friends to return from signing their official specialty declaration forms.
"Nope," Meredith said. "I hope they're not fighting or something…because I think if Hahn refuses to sign off on Cristina's forms, well, Cristina just might lose it in there."
"Hahn wouldn't really refuse, would she?" George asked nervously, definitely not excited at the prospect of dealing with a devastated Cristina.
"I wouldn't put it past her," Callie said, shaking her head as she joined the group. "I don't get it sometimes…Erica's a really nice person, but she just seems to have this rough spot when it comes to Cristina."
"No, she has to sign," Meredith insisted. "Because if she doesn't, I may just have to have to start sharing my therapist with Cristina, and I know neither of us wants that to happen."
"Ooh, here they come," Debbie said, excitedly motioning to the now open conference room door at the end of the hall.
"Well?" Meredith and Lexie asked in unison as Izzie, Alex and Cristina approached them.
"Cardio, baby," Cristina said, something almost akin to a smile playing at her lips.
"Pediatrics," Izzie said excitedly. "I know you guys think I'm going to get burned out, and I appreciate your concern, I really do. It's just…I'd rather do something I love for a few years, than do something I only sort of love for the rest of my career. Besides, if worse comes to worse, I've still got the clinic."
"I'm happy for you, Iz," Meredith said, quickly hugging her friend. "And Alex?"
"Neonatal," Alex muttered, looking down at his feet as though he were afraid to see everyone's reaction.
"Come again, Karev?" Callie asked.
"I said neonatal, alright?" Alex snapped. "Neonatal."
Meredith grinned broadly. "I knew it," she said happily. "Congratulations, Alex. You're going to be great in neonatal."
"Yeah, well, I'd have been great in anything," Alex smirked as Meredith smacked him on the shoulder before hugging him.
"I'm disappointed, Karev, very disappointed," Mark said as he, Derek and Erica Hahn approached the group. "I thought you were plastics all the way, man."
Alex shrugged. "Things change, Dr. Sloan," he said. "I guess I wanted a little more out of my career than silicone and cappuccinos."
"Ouch," Derek laughed.
"Yang," Erica said, still somewhat harshly. "Get an intern to prep Mrs. Richardson in 4212, then go scrub in. We start at one sharp, don't be late."
"Yes, Dr. Hahn," Cristina said happily, as both women turned and walked away from the group.
"Does she seem abnormally…well, not happy, but maybe less bitter lately?" Lexie asked as they watched Cristina hurry down the hall.
Meredith shrugged. "She goes through cycles, I think," she commented. "Enjoy it while it lasts."
"I've got some time before my next surgery," Derek commented to Meredith as the group gradually drifted off to carry on with the day. "Care to join me for lunch?"
Meredith glanced at her watch and sighed. "I wish I could, but Molly's going to be here to pick me up in about five minutes. We've got a lot of work to do this afternoon."
"What sort of work?" Derek asked.
Meredith grinned slightly. "Well, you'd be very proud…I'm going to be domestic. I'm in charge of repainting the kitchen, cleaning the windows and doing all the laundry. Molly's in charge of vacuuming, dusting, making the beds when I finish the laundry and doing the dishes. Then tomorrow, her mother-in-law is coming over to make a bunch of dishes that she's going to freeze so Molly can just heat them up – she's actually got an entire freezer just for that. Eric fills it up before he deploys, and then when it runs low, Mrs. Thompson comes over and fills it up again. When she's done, Molly and I are going to clean the kitchen, top to bottom. That house is going to sparkle."
Derek laughed. "Sounds like quite the enterprise. What's the occasion?"
"Eric's coming home soon," Meredith said. "We don't know exactly when yet. They usually don't get a specific day until just a few days in advance, but they've told her it should be sometime in the next two weeks."
"So you've got to hide how messy your sister is when she's away?" Derek teased.
"Molly isn't messy," Meredith insisted. "Really all we need to hide are the smoke marks on the ceiling from the time we tried to make lasagna a few months ago. The rest is really just to give Molly something to do so she doesn't go crazy in anticipation - after all, we are dealing with pregnancy hormones."