Chapter Twenty-Six: Day Five, Night

Meredith came home to the delicious smell of cooking food waiting for her the instant she opened the door.

Izzie…

Walking inside, Meredith paused to remove her boots and take off her coat when she suddenly heard a sharp female voice that caught her entirely off-guard.

"Pour in two teaspoons of…what the hell is essence of paprika?"

Meredith's eyes widened as she instantly recognised the voice and slowly made her way to the kitchen and was completely unprepared for the sight that was there, already waiting for her.

Bustling quickly around the kitchen with a very flustered face, and nursing a bottle of beer in one hand, was Cristina. She was searching through many different cupboards with her back to the door, not even aware that Meredith was watching her with a gaping mouth in total shock at the sight.

"Frickin kitchen…it's a wonder Barbie is able to find anything in here when she goes all mummy like and cooks muffins till the cows come home…I'm a top surgeon and here I am rummaging around for stupid ingredients for stupid recipes and…" Cristina grumbled under her breath until she suddenly exclaimed rather loudly, "Ha HA! Found you!"

Holding up a little jar in victory as if it was the Holy Grail, Cristina whirled around once in a circle and laughed victoriously…

Until she saw the figure in the doorway staring at her…

Coming to an abrupt halt mid-twirl, Cristina awkwardly paused for a complete three seconds as the two best friends just looked at each other. The exaltation on Cristina's face quickly disappeared and a look of embarrassment set in as she lowered her arm holding the jar to rest at her side.

Meredith though had not changed at all.

As the seconds went by, Cristina's embarrassment quickly disappeared and she looked at Meredith slightly annoyed and perplexed.

"Can you please not look at me as if I have Lionitis or something? You're starting to freak me out," she said.

Now Meredith's jaw closed.

"You're cooking." She managed.

Cristina just blinked at her and then looked slightly even more annoyed, "And?"

Meredith took a step into the kitchen, "But you don't cook. We don't cook. Since when do we cook?"

Raising an eyebrow at her, Cristina looked Meredith up and down a few times before crossing her arms and pointed the small jar at her.

"Since when we don't have tequila-fests alone anymore because I thought you were over that."

Meredith gave her an awkward smile whilst reaching forward to gently take the small jar in her hand. Bringing it up to her face to give it a quick inspection she saw that, indeed, it was essence of paprika.

"Yeah I was…until I slapped Derek last night."

Glancing back at Cristina, she couldn't help nearly chuckle at the look of pure shock and surprised on her best friend's face.

It took a few seconds for Cristina to be able to recover and form words and by then Meredith had pulled up a chair in front of the kitchen bench and opening a bottle of beer.

"You…you slapped him?"

Nodding before taking a huge swig of her drink, Meredith did a little burp and suddenly got the giggles at the ridiculousness of how it all sounded.

"Yep, and I even left a hand print on the side of his face."

Cristina's eyes now bulged so largely that Meredith was a little worried they were about to pop out.

"You, Meredith Grey, slapped Derek 'McDreamy' Shepherd last night?" she asked, still in complete shock. "I'm sorry to be repeating myself but I'm still trying it hard to believe what you just said…You actually grew some balls and stood up for yourself to him?"

Meredith shrugged and looked thoughtful, "Yeah…you make it sound so easy when you say it like that."

Cristina scoffed and turned around to go back to cooking, but she realised that Meredith now had the evil jar that she had spent ten minutes scouring the kitchen for. Turning back around with a hand outstretched, Meredith just gave her a slightly evil and amused look.

"You tell me why you're here cooking and I'll give you the jar back."

Giving her a knowing smile, Cristina placed her beer on the nearby counter and crossed her arms. Leaning against the counter top, she thought for a second and then gave Meredith an evil look.

"Tell me what McDreamy did that made you finally snap and slap him."

Meredith's smile slightly faltered but as she felt the atmosphere in the room begin to change from the strange tension of the past few days between them, she realised this was the building bridge to set things right with Cristina.

Without her she was not going to survive.

"He was an ass and wrongfully accused me of stepping over the line with Viper who was brought in today with a suspected head injury."

Cristina's slightly expectant face fell slightly, "That's it?"

Meredith frowned at her, "What do you mean 'that's it'? Derek was a complete and total ass and stepped over the line by a huge amount! Does he really see me at the type of intern to try and pick up with patients?"

Picking up her beer bottle again and raising an eyebrow at the annoyed Grey, Cristina smartly said, "Well if I remember correctly as to who Viper is…you kissed him when he unknowingly had a perforated bowel…"

Blushing at the memory, Meredith growled, "I did not! He kissed me! Big difference!"

Cristina scoffed, "So? There was lip contact and the fact McDreamy saw you two together then was definitely gonna give him reason to be watching you closely once more. Damn I wish I had been there to see his face when you finally slapped him for being such an ass…"

Seeing the wistful expression cloud her face, Meredith looked down at the paprika jar with slight regret.

She was glad Cristina hadn't been there. The amount of emotion and tension in that moment had been completely private and to try and explain that to her…

Well it seemed like it was going to be impossible.

But she could revel at her newfound bravery with…whatever it was that was being cooked.

Placing the small jar on the bench, she cleared her throat and waited for Cristina to come back to reality and fulfil her part of the deal.

"So why are you here cooking in my kitchen?"

That instantly made Cristina stop replaying her fantasising of seeing Derek being slapped over and over again and to look at Meredith who had an expecting expression on her face.

"Uh…well…"

Meredith raised her eyebrows slightly, waiting.

Once again Cristina began to look slightly embarrassed and extremely uncomfortable to have to explain to herself.

But she had made a deal…and she needed that paprika jar.

"Barbie…Izzie yelled at me today about how you needed us as friends and something about you needing me more than others…and that I shouldn't be avoiding you because you could need my support or…something like that. It was bad enough having Burke do it…"

Cristina had not been able to keep eye contact with Meredith the entire time she had been speaking, but by the time she finally had the courage to look at her when she had finished talking, Meredith had already slid the jar across the bench to her.

"Well I'm glad they did."

With a small smile Cristina picked up the jar and looked at Meredith, "I'm cooking you Jewish food."

Meredith smiled and looked at the concoctions cooking on the stove-top.

"Is it actually edible? It smells nice…" she said with an even bigger smile.

Cristina followed Meredith's eyesight and when she saw where it was aimed at, she turned back around and smirked.

"I overloaded it with herbs and spices to make the air smell nice. I reckon it'll taste like crap. I can only make mourning food."

Meredith started to laugh, as did Cristina.

"Wanna get pizza?"

"Sure."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was a few hours later that Izzie and George finally came home and when they entered the house they heard the loud sounds of music and laughter.

Looking at each other with puzzled expressions, they began to make their way to the source of the sounds. They made it to the doorway of the lounge-room when they saw the sight of Meredith and Cristina dancing around the room, each holding a beer bottle and laughing away as if they didn't have a care in the world. There were empty pizza boxes and several empty bottles of beer and various other types of alcohol bottles all over the floor and Ellis Grey's surgery videotapes strewn over the table.

The slightly confused, and surprised, duo shared a smile before turning around and walking away together, leaving the two drunk best friends undisturbed and unaware that they had been watched.

A/N: Well here is the next chapter, and secretly it is a relief that I was able to sort things out between Meredith and Cristina…because that means I can get back to writing more MerDer moments in the hospital. Next is the slight confrontation with Derek of the first meeting after 'the slap' :3 . Thank you to the people who read and reviewed the last chapter. :) I had to spend these chapters to be able to sort out things I could not leave hanging. So now, onwards with more Meredith and Derek! :D

TVHollyWoodDiva: Thank you :) I hope you the most recent instalment. :)

likeURinterested: I only keep on replying to reviews at the bottom of the page because it ensures to me that I have answered everyone and I like to be able to keep it there to remind what I've put. And also if anyone else wants to read my comments if they have chosen to not leave a review, then they can. It's just how I am sorry :) But thanks for leaving a review. :)

snv3: Thank you very much :D I am currently writing out the next few chapters and just trying to figure out where to go with the sub-plots :) But hopefully they will be up soonish :D

McEnglish: Hey! :D Thank you very much and I hope you like the new chapter! :D

Malu Snape Rickman: Life is definitely going crazy and all XD I can very easily relate to that :D And thanks! :D It took me a while to come up with that last bit as to what Meredith could say…but I'm glad you like it and you are right. :) Thanks for the review and I hope you like the update :D As for MerDer…oh It'll get there ;D

beautifulbearljb: Thank you very much :) It was very very ironic you mentioned more Christina and Mer because I had already written this chapter with them in it and then I read your review and my jaw dropped off! :D I hope you like what I have done in this chapter with them because they had to sorted out :) I love burkitina. They are so much fun to write. There will be more of it in future chapters. :) Thanks for the review and glad you still like. :D