Forward motion can carry us further than we could ever imagine possible. The involuntary velocity can be frightening as we speed through, the background scenes changing quicker than the ability of the human eye to capture all the minutiae of the defining moments. But the high, the rush of just rolling down the hill, jumping off the cliff, hitting the accelerator and just going with it is exhilarating. All the more so when we have someone with us to share the fear and the joy. Someone to hold our hand and cling onto for dear life. So we let go and give ourselves over to the motion, we take a deep breathe, exchange a look of agreement, reach out to each other, count to 3 and just start to move.
The room set aside in The Meridian hotel for weddings boasted the clearest view of the waterfront and the expanse of the Seattle city scape. A hundred candles adorned the various surfaces and their flames mingled with the lights reflected from the ferryboats and street lamps created a warmly dim, intimate atmosphere. Dozens of red roses stood in vases, laid on the central table and were tied to the end chairs on each of the rows of seated guests. The room looked beautiful and the low murmurs of the guests chatting about the evening ahead, musing on what the bride would be wearing and generally absorbing the romantic atmosphere that only comes along with a wedding, added to the intimate ambience.
At the top of the aisle in front of the officiant, stood the groom and his 3 best men- Mark Sloane reprising the role he had undertaken the first time around, Derek Shepherd making amends for missing out on the honour due to an infrequently alluded to spell in jail and Daniel Hunt, dressed in a miniature version of his father's black italian suit and a red button down shirt, who sat happily on Derek's hip, gurgling and looking around at all the eyes focused in his direction.
The string quartet picked up their instruments and began to pluck the melody of a classical love aria. The musical notes weaved their way through the candle lit space and were accompanied briefly by the low creak of oak doors being prised open.
The bride, on the arm of her person, followed her delighted flower girl down the aisle her eyes firmly fixed on her again to be husband. She had to stop herself from dropping her hand tied bunch of red Rose heads and running into his arms, reminding her body that it had 40 years or more to seek it's resting place in his arms.
Owen felt like he had stopped breathing. His eyes widened to take in every detail of the beautiful vision walking, revealed from behind the oak doors, towards him. At their first wedding she had of course looked stunning but there was an air of her grief at everything she was struggling to cope with that had hung between them. They had walked down the aisle together, they had both been aware of the fact that she had needed his physical support to make it to the point of saying "I do." But not this time. This time Cristina was walking the path towards her future with a part of her past at her side ready to let her go and she was doing it on a sure footing. Surety of heart, surety of body and surety of mind. She knew who she was, she was a glorious trifector of a wife, a mother and a surgeon. She knew the only way to go was forwards with the 2 people who made her sure she was now exactly the woman she had been destined to be, even though she had never believed it for herself. Now she believed in true love, she put her faith in it in the exact same way she trusted science, she believed that this love could and would last because loving each other was a procedure they had both mastered.
"Friends and family we are gathered here tonight to re affirm the love and commitment between Owen and Cristina..." The officiant began the opening address as the couple stared in wonder at each other- wondering how they managed to find each other, wondering how they had held on to each other on the path littered with obstacles, hurt and danger and wondering where their shared life would take them next. They did not have to wonder what the other was thinking because it was the same, I love you, I have always loved you, I will always love you.
The assembled guests looked on at this, on paper, mismatched couple- the cold surgical robot and the friendly, once tortured soldier- and let themselves sit for a few quiet moments in their own personal worlds of wondering. Mark wondered if Cristina Yang, the woman who he had, before Hunt came into the picture, believed was shut off from any emotion, could get married why he was still alone, Teddy still wondered, somewhat jealously, why she had never been the one for Owen, what was it about Cristina's love that he needed above anything else? The Chief wondered sadly how much longer he would have the woman he loved by his side and how his life with his one great love, Ellis, would have panned out if he had taken the risk all those years ago. Alex and Bailey wondered what points in their own failed marriages they would have been at now had been able to repair them. The various ER and OR nurses, who idolised Owen, wondered what he would be like as a husband and how the sometimes terse surgical resident had managed to snag one of the few gentlemen left in the world. Susan Hunt wondered if she would have another grandchild from her only son and the woman she had come to love as a daughter. Helen Rubenstein wondered how her daughter had managed to open herself up to be more than just a set of academic accomplishments and surgical skills. None of them, however, wondered why this pair, that they knew so well individually, worked so well together. The traits they shared- Both passionate, stubborn, talented and the ones that were almost at odds with each other- Owen's inability to close himself off from the human aspect of the medicine while Cristina had,in the past, an inability to switch herself onto it, Cristina's unrelenting drive to be the best, to stand head and shoulders above all the others, while Owen was more comfortable to be part of a team that achieved greatness, to let others shine. But love was not confined by likeness or diversity, love chose for you the one who it knew would be able to know you deeply, accept you wholly and care for you totally. That is what their friends and family saw in this marriage- 2 imperfect people who just slotted together perfectly.
"Now Cristina and Owen will make their new promises to each other." The officiant stepped back, making way for the most important part of the ceremony.
As Owen began to speak the vows he had written the rest of the room fell away, he was alone with his love and this time the words did not fail. It was not cerebral it was cardiac- his head did not need to formulate or remember the lines because his heart just let them flow.
"Cristina, you saw me through my darkness, you forgave me when I hurt you, you picked me up from the bottom of my pain and carried me to the peak of our shared joy. To say I love you is not enough, to promise you eternity is too short. You have made me a father and a better man. I owe you my future for being the person who closed the door on my past. I know now that I survive for you, I survived because of you and my purpose is to live for you and our son. I love you Cristina Yang."
Cristina could not hold back the tears. When Burke had left her at the altar she had cried tears of relief at being set free from the bondage of his criticism and control. Even the remote thought of being free from Owen's love made sheer panic overtake her soul. Now she was crying unbidden tears of relief that she was tied, bound even tighter to the man who knew her by heart. She took a moment to gather herself before she began to speak.
"Owen, you thawed me, you removed my icicle and made me love you. When I fell apart you put me back together, when I tried to run you pulled me back. You made me your wife and showed me I could be a mother to our beautiful child. I could never have been those things for or with anyone but you. You have shown me a complete life and I am completely yours."
Owen had tears in his eyes. His wife had laid her once fragile heart bare, put her total trust in this relationship and let down her Walls. He now believed that she too believed that he would never leave her or ever intentionally hurt her. With these vows they had spoken the unspoken truth that they had known since Cristina had decided to have his child- we are a partnership, there is 2 of us, 2 sets of eyes sharing a vision of the future that both sets of feet want to follow.
"You may now kiss the bride."
Even before the officiant had spoken the words of permission, Owen had stepped forward and claimed his wife's lips for his own in a kiss that was charged with passion, lust, love and promise. The promise of physical pleasure later that night and of emotional companionship in all the later years of their lives. The room erupted into cheers and applause. This wedding, here tonight, had closed the chapter of the hospital shooting for all of them. They were all reshaped people, letting the forward motion pick up speed and carry them on.
Breaking apart, smiling at each other, Cristina motioned to Derek to hand her Daniel. With their son nestled between them, Cristina linked her fingers through Owen's and they started off on their walk back down the aisle, their lives tied together as parents and lovers, they did not know where their destination was but they were just going to enjoy being on the journey together.
Upstairs in the grand ballroom....
After everyone had been seated to enjoy the lavish 3 course menu and a steady flow of champagne, Derek, in his role as the official best man, had the guests doubled over in laughter as he recounted stories of Meredith and Cristina's bed sharing antics, Owen's questionable golfing skills and even the time he had repaired a very famous Seattle monument- Mark Sloane's penis! Meredith had stood to thank Owen for taking care of her person and to remind him that she would kick his ass all over Seattle if he ever hurt her. She said it with a huge grin on her face but the steely glare in her eyes told Owen that she meant every word.
After a short period of mingling, the DJ started up the party portion of the evening. Jackson, Lexie, April and Alex hit the dance floor and threw themselves around with wild abandon, Callie and Arizona were chatting with Meredith and Derek, while Mark swung Zola around to whoops of delight from the little girl.
Owen's mother danced to Frank Sinatra with Chief Webber, thoroughly enjoying being twirled around the dance floor in the arms of a perfect gentleman. When the timeless classic had faded to make way for the more modern classic of Lady Gaga.
Susan and Richard had retired to a table on the side of the dance floor to talk about their shared interests-Owen, Cristina and Daniel. Whilst they were engaged in conversation, Susan really enjoying the attentions of a man for the first time since her husband had died and Richard revelled in being able to talk to a woman of his own age who he did not have to remind, prompt or repeat himself for, Zola and her doll, came and climbed into Richard's lap. Zola chattered and giggled at the attention being paid to her by both Richard and the woman she did not know, but she recognised the blue eyes to be just like her Uncle Owen's. Yawning, Zola settled herself against his chest and allowed herself to fall asleep clutching on to the bottom of his lilac tie. Like Daniel, she knew Richard to be her grandfather and she found a tranquil peace on his presence. Spying the scene, Cristina mused that if she did not know better she would think that Owen's mom had a bit of a twinkle in her eye for the chief. Another one who has a thing for authority figures huh? She joked to herself. She could see why she liked her mother in law so much.
On the opposite side of the ballroom...
"Mrs Rubenstein, may I have this dance?" Owen offered his arm to the woman who gave him a glimpse of what his wife may look like in the future. Diminutive in stature, fierce of opinion and almost alarmingly beautiful.
"It would be a pleasure." Rising to her feet and handing her delicate clutch bag to her more reserved husband, Dr Saul Rubenstein, he was a dentist in Beverley Hills, a fact that everyone at the wedding now knew!
Taking up a proper ballroom hold in the middle of the dance floor, Helen was quietly impressed by her son-in-laws masterful grace. His bulky stature belied such ease and fluidity of movement as Owen led her through the lilting rise and fall of a dreamy waltz, keeping a perfect 3 beat rhythm, whilst they talked.
"You have changed her." Helen looked into the blue eyes and could admit that she totally appreciated why Cristina had been so attracted to this man. His rough, chiselled masculinity made him sensually alluring and his broad, muscular frame made Helen feel like she wanted to be swept away by this hero, reminiscent of the white knight in the princess fairy stories she had been read as a child. "She is warm, she is actually happy, she truly feels."
"She saved me." Owen did not know what details of their relationship Cristina had shared with her mother but he wanted to tell her how her daughter had totally changed the course of his battle heavy journey and breathed a new life into him. "I came back from the war totally broken, I was a complete mess. But Cristina saw through all of the damage and made me want to be better. If she was offering me her love I had to deserve it."
"My daughter does not give her love easily, believe me." There was a sadness in the way this mother spoke about the fragile bond that existed between her and her own child. Helen could see as she glanced across to where Cristina was sitting cradling Daniel, talking to Owen's mother, that already her daughter had found a bond with her baby in 4 months that they could never hope to replicate after 33 years of practice.
Following his mother-in-laws gaze, he explained quietly, "Cristina is a great mother, she didn't think she could be but she is. Daniel adores her."
"Thank you for telling me that." Helen did not look up as she spoke for fear of him seeing her eyes filled with regret at not being an adored mother worthy of her daughter's love. Owen made no verbal reply but they continued to dance. The steady, comforting rhythm of the waltz bonding a son-in-law and a mother- in- law in a few moments of easy connection.
Watching her husband dancing with her mother was slightly weirding Cristina out. She had come back from feeding Daniel up in their suite to find her mother swaying in Owen's arms and they looked to be locked in a deep conversation. A conversation she knew was about her, she just hoped her mother wasn't banging on about Burke or something as equally in appropriate from her childhood.
She felt a hand on her bare shoulder and twisted around to see who it was. Susan Hunt's kind blue eyes smiled down at her as she slid into the seat beside her.
"Have you enjoyed the evening so far?" Cristina asked.
"Very much so. Richard Webber is a fascinating man." Susan
Smiling knowingly at this admission, Cristina nodded and turned towards the dance floor to see what was now occurring between her mother and her husband.
As the final bars of the music drew their dance to it's crescendo, Owen bent his head and kissed Helen on the cheek, "Thank you for being here tonight and thank you for the dance." He smiled as he once again offered his arm to escort Helen over to where the rest of their family were sitting.
Helen took a seat next to Susan and began to make polite small talk about how beautiful the ceremony had been, how sweet Zola was and complimented each other on their respective children.
"I think it is about time I danced with my wife." Owen took her hand and pulled her gently to her feet, Daniel still curled up in her other arm. Cristina turned back towards their mothers and automatically turned towards Susan to hand Daniel over to her but then stopped. It felt right, after their talk earlier, to take a step towards her own mother, to offer her a open door and hope she would come inside.
"Mom, would you?" Cristina nodded down to Daniel and motioned with her eyes that she was asking her to hold him.
"Of course!" Helen was moved. Her daughter, really offering her a chance to know her grandson and maybe in turn to get to know her better also. She scooped up her grandson and began to coo over him in such a sweet way that Cristina was amazed and felt sure her mouth was gapping open.
Daniel felt a change. He knew he had left his mother's arms, he felt a little colder and he opened his eyes to find out where he was now. He looked up towards the face of his new protector and saw his own eyes reflected back at him, bigger and darker but the same shape, with the same expression of love. This face looked like his mother, these arms held him tightly pulling him towards her heart. The beats were a variation on the heartbeats he had heard for the 9 months before he had made his appearance in the world of his parents. He knew this was the woman who had given him the most important woman in his own life. Daniel curled himself sideways, slotting himself in deeper to the embrace, thanking his grandmother for his gift.
On the dance floor...
"I have a wedding present for you." Owen mumbled into his wife's ear. "It is ready to be unwrapped up in our suite."
"Aww, so it is not you then!" Cristina feigned disappointment, she knew all too well that the wedding night would not go by without being thoroughly enjoyed by both parties. She had her arms wrapped around Owen's neck and her body pressed tightly into his as they danced, barely moving to the music, just letting the melody take them out of time and out of space into their own private cacoon, totally focused on each other.
"Correction, I have 2 gifts for you waiting to be unwrapped upstairs!" Owen smirked and grazed a kiss across her warm lips.
"Come on then. It is tradition for the bride and groom to leave the party early!" Seductively Cristina whispered the words into his mouth between kisses. She ran her flat palms down the outside of his strong arms and pulled on her husbands hand and led him out of the ballroom towards the elevators.
The elevator carried them quickly to the penthouse, up to the same room in which they had spent their wedding night nearly 2 years ago. Unlocking the door with the keycard, Owen scooped her up. The satin of her dress caused friction on his palms, sending a pulse of sexual electricity at the thought of her body underneath waiting for his touch straight to his groin.
Carrying his wife over the threshold, Owen deposited her gently onto the bed, next to a large rectangular gift wrapped in silver paper.
"Open it!" Owen sat down next to her on the bed and handed her the light package.
Cristina was intrigued at the shape and size of the gift. She had been expecting jewellery! She ripped excitedly at the paper and bit her lips to stifle the huge grin that threatened to take over her face. "I love it! Thank you." She turned her head and pecked a kiss on his lips before turning back to admire the picture on the canvas Owen had commissioned for her.
It was a black and white print of the x-ray of her icicle. The natural disaster that had bought about this rare phenomenon of finding the love of your life, your one true soulmate.
Standing up and Placing the canvas lovingly at the side of the luxurious king sized bed, Cristina came to stand in from of her husband, his blue eyes were twinkling with pride at getting his wife a gift that she seemed to love. She ran a hand through his hair and traced down the side of his face and then moved her hands towards her back.
"So, Mr Yang, do you want to see my scar?"
Unzipping the back of the column of red satin, she let the dress fall to the floor revealing her perfectly, totally naked body...
To be continued...
Author's note: thought I would pull a Shonda and leave you wanting more! Will I write the wedding night or will I do a time jump! Ha ha!
I promise I will not time jump, some wedding night action is coming (excuse the pun!) very soon! I love you all too much to be that cruel!
Lots of love