The Importance Of Trust
Epilogue
- A Month Later -
"Tell me again why I have to wear a dress." Cristina said loudly in order to reach Owen, who was in a suit and tie, waiting for her in their new kitchen.
"I didn't tell you that you had to wear a dress. I just strongly advised it." Owen barked back to Cristina who was standing in a towel, pulling out dresses from an unpacked box.
"What's the difference?"
Owen walked to their new bedroom, tripping on moving boxes in the hallway, and leaned on the doorframe where he could see Cristina's Harper Avery Award hanging over their bed. "The difference is that you can't tell Cristina Yang to do anything. One can only hope to advise her."
Cristina might as well have sent fire out of her eyes at him. "Where are we going?"
Owen laughed, "You think the fifteenth time is the charm, huh?"
"You're actually counting?"
"Yes." Owen's eyes fell on her bare neck, a towel keeping her hair up, and watched water slid down it. "And not that I don't enjoy the view," Owen saw Cristina smirk at him. "But we have to be there in thirty minutes."
"What do you mean 'have to be there'? It's our date." Cristina put three dresses on their unmade bed to make her final decision. "Not that you and I have actually dated much – or ever – but let me remind you, even if you made reservations, we can be a few minutes late."
"Cristina. I am dragging you out of here in twenty minutes whether you're ready or not."
"Does that mean you will take me out even if I am half naked?"
Owen eyebrows narrowed in annoyance. "Twenty minutes," he said and half-closed the bedroom door behind him.
"Where are we going?" Cristina yelled at him.
"Sixteen!" Owen yelled back.
A huge grin appeared on Cristina's face as she leaned over to watch Owen walk down the hall. The smile left when she looked back down at the bed and her dress choices.
"Damnit," She said to the empty room.
Exactly eighteen minutes and forty-four second later, Cristina walked out of their bedroom with her hair in a bun, a few curls outlining the sides of her face, wearing a red spaghetti-strap cocktail dress and silk black summer shall.
"Wow," once Owen's eyes saw her, they were locked on her. "You're stunning."
"Thank you." Cristina opened her mouth to ask where they were going again, but knew better, instead she asked, "Can you at least tell me if I need a coat?"
Still starring at her, Owen managed to say, "You don't need a coat."
"Huh, I guess we're not going to the West-point Lighthouse to watch the Northern Lights then?"
Owen simply crossed his arms. "It's cloudy."
"Well, at least I got something out of you."
Owen walked to the door and opened it for her. "Let's go."
He only closed their front door to the latch, eyeing Callie who was waiting on the staircase for them to leave. Cristina turned back to him to ask another question, but anticipating her moments, Owen's hands were already on he shoulders pushing her forward. "No more questions. Down the stairs," Owen demanded.
When Cristina reached the staircase, she stormed down it, eagerly curious and excited. Owen, on the other hand, took a deep breath and turned to Callie, who was still hidden. Callie and Owen shared nervous smiles and a brief wave before he ran down the stairs to catch up with Cristina.
"Is the blindfold really necessary?" Cristina said once they were in his truck.
"It's crucial."
"It's stupid."
Owen put his free hand on hers. "Just go with it."
Cristina frowned. "Fine."
Owen smiled, amused. "Fine."
The rest of the care ride was silent. Once he parked, he took the keys out of the ignition, and froze nervously.
"Okay, you parked the car. Can I take the blindfold off now?"
Owen, still unsure, eyed their destination to make sure it was ready. Balloons that Cristina would hate were up and lights were on. Owen went around his truck to open the door for her.
"Come on," he said as he took her hand in his and guided her feet down with the other.
"Seriously, how much longer?" Cristina said as she let Owen lead the way.
"Ten seconds." Owen moved her in position and then moved behind her to take the blindfold off.
Cristina blinked rapidly. "Seriously?" Cristina looked around unimpressed. "This our big date? Meredith and Derek's house?"
"No, we just have to pick them up."
"This is really anticlimactic don't you think?" Cristina reached for her purse, found her keys, and began to walk towards the house. "And why do they have stupid balloons tied to their fence? Is someone having a fifth birthday party?"
Owen was still nervous as they walked up the steps. Still looking around at the gold balloons, he didn't notice when Cristina put her key in the lock. "Hey!" He put his hands over hers to prevent her from turning the key. "Since when do you have a key to their house? I think we are supposed to knock." Owen was only able to knock on the door once before Cristina stopped him.
Cristina turned on him, annoyed. "This is Meredith's house. I never knock. Why did you build this whole thing up just to take the blindfold off in front of their house?" Cristina turned the key and opened the door. "Mer! Let's go!"
"CONGRATULATIONS!" People screamed at the first sight of Cristina. Cristina stood at the door shocked.
Everyone was there. From nurses to residents to attendings, everyone came out to greet Cristina from all corners of Meredith's house. Cristina was too in shock looking at everyone to notice the banner hanging in hallway. When she did, it all made sense.
Congratulations Dr. Cristina Yang
Seattle Grace's own Harper Avery Winner
Meredith was the first to reach Cristina, and as Meredith pulled Cristina deeper into the house, which was elegantly decorated for the occasion, Cristina looked back at Owen whose grin showed how amused he was by Cristina's face.
"Mer, this is really unnecessary. You know I hate parties." Every five seconds a different coworker from the hospital would stop them from going deeper into the house and congratulate Cristina with either a handshake or a hug. "And hugs," she added to Meredith as April tried to put her arms around Cristina.
"Come on, Cristina. Any other Harper Avery Winner has to sit through a whole gala. You can sit through a dinner party."
Meredith and Cristina finally made to Meredith's dining room, which somehow managed to fit a long front table at one end of the room and many circular tables that filled the rest of the room and still overflowed into the living room.
"You went overboard." Cristina said in awe trying to take in the scene.
Meredith smiled and motioned to the center most circular table. "It was the least I could do."
"No I didn't mean that as a compliment or a 'thank you,'" Cristina said sternly, but Meredith smile just grew bigger. "I meant that in a 'This is really outrageous and I hate outrageous things' way."
"Just sit down." After Meredith pushed Cristina in her seat, she took the seat right next to it.
A fork hit a wine glass and doctors and nurses began to fill the tables. Callie greeted Derek at the long table in the front before joining Meredith, Owen, Alex, and Lexie at Cristina's center table.
In the commotion of everyone trying to find their assigned seats, Jackson's eyes met Cristina's as he passed her to find his own place setting. In the month that followed their drinks 'date', they seemed to have form a mutual understanding not to bring the words said between them. "Only your old intern friends at your VIP table, huh?"
"Actually, only the people I trust can sit at VIP table." Cristina said simply, friendly raising her wine glass to him.
"Dr. Cristina Yang," Derek said to end any last minute conversations. Instead of focusing on Cristina, heads turned to the front of the room where Derek, Bailey, and Teddy sat commanding the start of the ceremony.
Now that Derek had the room's attention, he repeated, "Dr. Cristina Yang. On the outside she is known as Seattle Grace's robot surgeon, always after the next surgery, the next high, always trying to be better, to be the best. It was silently acknowledged for years through unspeakable trials and public thrashing that Cristina was the surgeon we all we jealous of, not because she was at points the intern-resident with the most O.R. time, but because she simply was the best. And tonight, we are no longer silent." Clapping erupted in the room.
Derek continued. "Few of us here tonight can say we know who Cristina Yang is on the inside." Derek took a sip of water. "Since I am married to the woman she calls her 'person' and her boyfriend calls 'the other half of the twisted sisters,'" Laughs were shared across the room. "I can say a few words about Cristina without breaking my post-it marriage contract." He paused to regain his thoughts; he met Cristina's eyes. "Cristina, you and I spend most of our personal relationship fighting over Meredith and annoying each other over what time you should be allowed to climb into our bed in the morning." More laughs. "Four in the morning is just to early for me." Derek said to the audience.
Derek put down his glass and his voice took a more serious tone. "On the inside, you are one of the most caring and loyal and loving people I have ever met. You rarely show it, but when you do, it's the best surprise that none of us thought we would need but always do. You are picky about your friends, but you should be. Because Cristina Yang's friends are her family and she will, and does, stand by them through anything and everything. Every one of them is lucky to have you because." Clapping again filled the room, and meaningful glances were shared between the people sitting at the VIP table.
"I can't say much more because complimenting you any more will literally make me sick." More laughs. "This award isn't about you surgical skills in the O.R. Nor is it about the promise that your future holds. Your 2008 Harper Avery Award given to you for the person you are, for the loyalty you show, and for determination you have to stay true to yourself. We are all proud of you." Derek raised his glass. "Congratulations."
As Derek sat down, Teddy stood up. "I met Cristina on my first day at Seattle Grace and what a treat and a pleasure it was. I worked with Cristina for all of five hours before calling her the best Resident I've ever seen." Cristina and Teddy exchanged looks. "And I'm so glad it turned out to be true. And now that's it's official, I can't tell you what an honor it is to be your teacher and mentor. You deserve every happiness, Cristina." Teddy raised her glass to Cristina. "Congratulations."
Finally, Bailey took the floor.
"I had five interns. They were the most ass-kissing, surgery-hungry, competitive suck-ups anyone will ever meet." Laughter erupted in the room. "Cristina fit right in, in fact she was usually their leader in mischief." Cristina looked at Meredith and Alex and the three of them shared smiles. "And with what mischief they did cause, I am lucky to just be standing here tonight at all." Bailey paused and looked at her three remaining interns. "I'm so glad I am. I have watched you grow from a surgeon who broke rules to save a friend's fiancée and risked your own career to save that same friend and then risked your career again to save your boyfriend's to a woman who takes charge of your interns and residents and puts your own life on the line to save your best friend's husband." Bailey brushed away a single tear from her face. "What a honor it is to have watched you grow up." She raised her glass. "Congratulations, Cristina."
When Bailey finished, everyone stood up in a standing ovation to Cristina. Derek motioned for Cristina to come up to the front. Cristina hesitated, but Meredith pushed her forward.
Before Cristina was out of arms lengths of her table, Owen took a break from clapping and pulled her back into his arms. "Congratulations," he whispered to her before kissing her lips. Cristina heard several whistles and several laughs in response to those whistles before Owen let her break away from him.
When Cristina finally made it to the front table, everyone had sat down. Cristina shook hands with Teddy, Bailey, and Derek before Derek pulled out Cristina's Harper Avery Award from the behind the long table and handed it to her.
The room was completely silent as everyone waited for Cristina to speak. Butterflies filled her stomach as she turned around to face the overcrowded room. "Wow. Well, first I have to thank somebody for stealing this plaque from my apartment." Laughs erupted again, but Cristina quickly put her hands up to quiet them down. "Look, I think we've had too much talking tonight." She paused and looked around to see some disappointed faces. "I am actually really bad at speech making. But thank you. This really means the world to me – you have no really idea. Thank you." She gave one last nervous smile before walking back to her table.
The room went into a standing ovation once again.
It turned out to be warm night for Seattle in the summer. It was a rare occurrence where the clouds kept the summer heat close to the earth instead of bringing the cold air with them as they drifted further inland.
Cristina's party moved to Meredith and Derek's back yard, where music was playing and crickets were chirping bringing in the night.
Doctors and nurses were in their social groups talking, drinking, or dancing the night away, hardly remembering why they were there in the first place.
And that's exactly how Cristina wanted it. Owen and Cristina had found a quiet place in the backyard, away from most people but surround by garden lights and soft music coming from outdoor speakers. Owen held Cristina tight as they danced together, forgetting everyone around them. She looked up at Owen, who was of course starring at her. "Okay, this is perfect."
"Perfect, huh?" Owen whispered into her hair as they swayed to the music.
"Yeah. Don't you think?"
Owen rested his check on her forehead. "I think this is as good as it gets."
Cristina gave a little laugh. "So it's all down hill from here, huh?"
Owen closed his eyes, trying to savor every moment. "I guess so."
Cristina smiled, closed her eyes, and pulled Owen closed to her.
"Until, of course, you win your next Harper Avery."
Cristina pulled back just enough so that she could look at Owen. "My next one?"
"Oh yeah, don't tell me you ever thought you one Harper Avery would be it for you."
"No, never," Cristina smiled. "I just didn't realize that you already put that in your plans for me as well."
"Of course I did. I know who you are. I know what an amazing surgeon you are, what a passionate friend and lover you are, what an empathic person you are. I know your heart and I know your dreams and they are intertwined with my own heart and dreams. I have made room for your plans as well as mine. My hopes would vanish without you and in all my dreams, you are happy. I need you to be happy for me to be happy. My heart would have dissolved in my chest forever if you didn't show me where it was in the first place."
"I love you too, Owen."
Owen gave an uncomfortable laugh. "I pour my soul out to you and that's all you can say."
Cristina put her fingers in his hair. "And I trust you. Anything you want to know and anything I can give to you is yours for the taking."
Owen tightened his hands against the small of her back. He smiled and raised his eyebrows in a hopeful question. "Even forty years from now?"
Cristina smiled. "Especially forty years from now."
Owen lowered his lips to hers to seal her promise and her trust to him forever.