**Thanks for the positive feedback on Teddy and Bailey, my friends. To be honest, my original intention was to focus on Faith but not Teddy or Theo. If you read my previous fanfic, you know I love that character very much. I have plenty ideas to write about Faith and Theo, sadly I just don't have time and energy to do it now. So please hold on to your vote and wait until you have full exposures to all of Cristina and Owen's beautiful children before you pick the favorite Crowen's child, okay? :D
Special thanks to Katy Oh, your random review always make my day. You know you join a new community and you meet many great people, but you will always remember the first friend that came and befriended with you. It was Katy Oh in my situation.
I also miss the reviews from Annamria, Sue and many more of you. Am I updating too fast? I hope you spend some little time of your busy day to enjoy my story. I'm busy, too. And reading your reviews make my day happier :)
I have great chapters, good chapters and so-so chapters. My Crowen version may be different than your version, but hey, I found immense joy during the course of writing fanfiction. And just so you know, Crowen of a teen writer will be different from Crowen of a 20s writer and different from Crowen of a writer who has family. So, I'm glad if you love my story so far and you choose to stay with me.
Last but not least, please enjoy the chapter, my awesome readers.
WINTER
Snow can wait, I forgot my mittens
Wipe my nose, get my new boots on
I get a little warm in my heart
When I think of winter
I put my hand in my father's glove
He says, "When you gonna make up your mind
When you gonna love you as much as I do
When you gonna make up your mind
'Cause things are gonna change so fast"
Teddy rushes into the hospital and encounters April Kepner at the entrance.
"Aunt April! Do you know my dad's room?" She looks hurried.
"Uh huh, I'll show you the way." April walks with the little girl towards an elevator in the east side of the hospital, then she gestures her head upstairs: "Take the elevator to the third floor, room 303. I'm gonna stay here, I'm heading to the chapel." April gently smiles.
"Wait, you're going to the chapel? Can I come with you?" Teddy murmurs.
"Of…of course. Let's go then." April stutters. She is surprised at the request but she cheerfully nods her head.
April walks the girl to the chapel that she usually spends time when she has a chance. Teddy chooses a bench away from April, kneels down, closes her eyes and mumbles something. April know this girl is praying for her Dad. She quietly smiles and turns back to her own prayer.
After visiting the chapel, Teddy cheerfully departs April and goes up the elevator to see her dad.
Owen is lying on the patient bed with Cristina sitting next to him. He feels strange; given it's the first time he puts on the patient gown. His wife is reading a magazine and he is reading his book as well. They are all mentally and physically prepared for the surgery.
Dr. Miranda Bailey walks into the room with four residents following her. She cheerfully greets him.
"Dr. Hunt. How are you doing? Are you ready for the big day?"
"Can't be any better, Dr. Bailey." Owen chuckles.
Miranda Bailey gestures her head towards a resident. She steps forward, glancing at Owen's chart and starts to present the case. Owen adjusts the bed up straight then crosses his arms, listening carefully to the presentation. It is an opportunity for him to evaluate the students in a completely different perspective.
Cristina stops looking at the magazine and stares at the second resident as she explains to Owen the post-op procedure. Her stern looks makes the resident shaky.
"How soon will the drain be removed after post op?" Cristina snaps at the resident.
"I…I think it's Post op day 1." The resident stutters.
"Drain from the surgical site will be removed before discharge; and foley catheter will be removed after post op day 1 or 2." Cristina corrects the student; she shakes her head and rolls her eyes in disappointment.
"Yang! She is my baby, just like you were twenty five years ago. Wait twenty five years and see how great a doctor she is." Dr. Bailey scolds at Cristina. Owen giggles to hear their conversation.
As soon as the group of residents led by Dr. Bailey has disappeared, Teddy and Bailey walk inside Owen's room. She rushes to her father's bedside and hugs him.
"Dad, I'm home."
Cristina sits up and gazes at Teddy in surprise: "Did you just fly home?"
"Bailey drove me to Oregon and we flew home." She mutters.
Owen gently strokes Teddy's hair the way he usually did when she was little. It feels good to be in his little daughter's embrace.
"Thanks for coming back for me, Teddy. But I hope you won't skip class next time." He sighs.
"Don't worry about me, Dad. I still ace in all my classes. Hey, I went with Aunt April to the chapel and prayed for you. So you will be fine, Dad. I promise you will be fine." She reassures her father.
"How can you promise that he'll be fine when even Dr. Bailey can't make such promise? It is scientifically invalid." Cristina laughs and shakes her head.
"Hey Ma, I'm having a moment with my father here!" Teddy turns around and snaps at her mother. Then she quickly resumes her positive and cheerful version: "I'm sure you will, Dad. You are a fighter. You taught us to fight. So I know you will fight, right?" She beams at Owen.
"I will. Now jump down the bed so the nurse can roll me away." Owen chuckles. He can tell from her shaky voice that the girl is emotional yet she is trying to be strong and supportive to him. He feels content fluttering in his chest, seeing how his daughter is desperately trying to cheer him up.
Teddy jumps down the bed and kisses Owen on his cheek. Cristina walks towards him and squeezes his hand. "I've gotta go to work but I will be back when you're in post op. And I am searching for the most luxurious trip to China that includes visiting the Great Wall. So you'd better do well in the OR. I don't want to waste my money." She snorts at him, trying to maintain her sarcasm demeanor.
"Alright." Owen gently smiles.
"I love you, Owen." Cristina kisses his thin lips as he is rolled away to the OR.
…
Owen blinks his eyes a few times, trying to wake himself up from the dizziness caused by the anesthesia. Through his hazy sight, he spots the presence of some familiar figures in the room. He feels a delicate body approaching him, and realizes it is his wife.
"Hey, you did well in the OR. Dr. Bailey removed the cancerous kidney and two nearby lymph nodes." Cristina holds his hand and gently rubs his forehead.
"So what, am I cancer free now?" He weakly smiles, trying to make a joke.
Cristina doesn't respond to Owen's question. He can see in her eyes a slightest ray of sadness; yet before he can speak up, she gives up her space for other people to come see him.
"You look great, Hunt. Better be back in the field soon, the hospital sucks without you." Derek cheerfully smiles at him.
"Hey Chief, I'm glad the surgery went well." April approaches Owen and shakes his hand.
"Dr. Bailey is now your chief, Kepner." He weakly shakes his head and smiles.
Owen rests on his bed, tired but content that many visitors come and see him after the surgery. He spends hours talking to Meredith then Callie and Arizona. Alex Karev also walks by to say hi to Owen when he's on the way to visit a child patient. What surprises Owen the most is the unexpected visit from Zola, Jasmine and Jane. They keep reminding him how awesome he was as an uncle to take them to the fair and buy them Icees in a hot summery day. Jasmine confesses to Owen that he'll remain a cool uncle in their hearts no matter how grown up and mature they are.
"You're very well liked." Cristina murmurs as she closes the door.
Owen looks at the clock which indicates 6:00 p.m. and exhales deeply. He can't say that he's sad that everyone left, because he feels exhausted after a long afternoon meeting and talking to visitors. Cristina pulls her chair closer to Owen; she stares at him and gently plays with his auburn curls.
"What's wrong, Cristina?" Owen bites his lips. He can taste a little blood coming from the chapped lips.
"Your lips are dry. Have some water." Cristina adjusts the bed and helps him takes a gulp of water. She talks to him in a monotonous voice, which confirms with Owen that Cristina is hiding something.
"We're fighting together. You need to tell me what's wrong." Owen gazes at her.
"Dr. Bailey found another cancerous lymph node that was not shown on the scan. She said she will test other lymph nodes to assess your real situation. Looks like you're gonna have a second surgery and radiation therapy after that." Cristina sighs as she leans her head on his chest.
"Oh, we were prepared for that, Cristina. Don't you break down because today's surgery was just my first battle of the war. And I survived." Owen gently twirls Cristina's curl.
"I will be okay. I will be Stephen Hawking's wife for you. I want to make sure you fight for me." She gently smiles.
There's a gentle knock on the door and Cristina opens to see Faith. Glancing at her father glued to the bed with monitors around him, Faith's stomach is clenched in pain. She wipes her tears and forces a weak smiles "Hi Mom" before entering the room. She rushes towards Owen's bed and kisses his forehead. She smiles at Owen as her tears keep falling down. "Hi Dad. Sorry I come home late."
Unlike Teddy, Faith is usually more sentimental and gentle. Owen feels happy to see his oldest child again.
"Hey, it's okay. I don't expect you to come home. You're in the middle of your busy semester."
Faith sniffles a few times then composes herself. She sits down on a chair next to Owen, hand touching his as she gazes at Cristina.
"Mom, so what's next?"
"Dr. Bailey will perform the second surgery after two days. After that your dad will have radiation treatment to destroy any potential cancerous cell remaining in his body."
Faith slowly exhales and looks straight to Owen's eyes. "We all know it's gonna be tough, Dad. But hey, you taught me to fight for my life when I was six and miserable with my aortic stenosis. So now I want you to fight for your life."
Owen gently nods. Despite his physical weakness, he feels energized because the important women of his life are staying strong and keeping their heads high. He thinks about how his children were taught to be soldiers and now they are requesting their commander to fight till the end. His hard work pays off.
"I'm not depressed, or broken, or wrecked, Faith. My mind is sharp and I will fight against my illness." He gives her a stern look.
The door is slammed opened abruptly and Teddy walks in along with Bailey. Bailey hesitantly stands at the entrance; his experience tells him that a storm is on its way whenever Teddy is among her family.
Faith stands up and approaches Bailey as she sees him. She hugs him and smiles: "Hey, thanks for being there with Teddy. My presentation couldn't be better, Bailey. And I already recorded the lecture you missed for you."
"Don't mention it." Bailey smiles and squeezes her hand.
Teddy stands next to Cristina and looks very serious. "I talked to Dr. Bailey. Dad will need someone to take care of him when he's under chemotherapy or radiation. So I volunteer to stay with him." Her voice is calm and clear.
"No, Teddy." Owen, Cristina and Faith bellow all at once.
"Look, I know you all will say so, but let's be honest here: Dad will need a caregiver in the house. And every one is too busy to be that person. Ma is busy with her project, Faith is busy with medical school stuff, and Theo is busy building his resume and be on top of his class. Someone needs to be here with Dad." Teddy paces around the room, hands waving up and down, full of energy. Bailey quietly stares at her and shakes his head, sighing.
"I say NO, Teddy." Owen scolds at her.
"Why not, Dad? I will ask my advisor and have her sign a form allowing me to hold my academic career for a semester. And it's not like I avoid studying at all. I can stay here with you and take CLEP tests, and earn my credits for Calculus, or Principles of Macroeconomics, or even History without having to attend classes. I should have thought about it earlier and graduate sooner than Theo! I mean, what's the point of studying them again when I already learnt them so well in high school?" Teddy is outrageous with her ideas.
"Teddy, that is not a smart idea. That is a foolish idea. You are the youngest and your job is to focus on your study, and nothing else." Faith shakes her head and talks firmly to her sister.
"Oh Faith, it's easier said than done. Will you stay here and take care of Dad then? He has cancer, for God's sake. Why is everyone in the family taking it so lightly? He's gonna go under radiation. He's gonna be in pain and feel exhausted. And no, Dad can't live in the hospital so that some nurse will take care of him. What's the point of having family members then?" Teddy starts to feel weak and vulnerable at her own reasons.
"Teddy, you're being rude and mean to me and Mom. We are discussing his options, don't you dare say what's the point of having family members." Faith scolds at Teddy.
"Don't tell me what to say. You don't even show up until the surgery is done." Teddy glances at her sister. Faith cannot utter another word. She shakes her head and looks down in disappointment.
"Oh Dad, I want to stay here and take care of you." Teddy marches toward Owen's bed and sobs on his chest. "I can't rest assured if you are left fighting with your cancer alone. I am not avoiding my study, Dad. I will take all 5 CLEP exams by November and prove you that I can excellently handle them all."
Owen pats his youngest daughter's head gently, eyes glancing at Cristina and exhales.
"Teddy, your dad just got out from a major surgery. He needs rest. And you are disturbant in here." Cristina coldly scowls.
"I'm eighteen. I will do what I think is right. You can all blame me because I don't have a life as busy as you, medical nerds. But I will stay here and be the caregiver for Dad." Teddy speaks up with determination.
"Will you take her for a walk, Bailey? Thank you." Cristina glances at the boy standing at the entrance. He lightly walks inside and pulls Teddy out of her father's room.
…
"Bailey, it's important to me that you understand I'm totally aware of what I'm doing. And I think I make the right decision." Teddy waves her hand as she strolls around the hospital yard with Bailey.
Bailey stays silent. He just breathes in and out slowly.
"Bailey?" She asks him again.
"You want my honest opinion? I think you're out of your mind. I know you care about your dad very much, but Faith is right. Your sole focus is your study." He mumbles.
"Everyone is always on her side! Everyone is always opposed me! Even you, Bailey. I mean, I know she loves dad, but she cares about her own career than her family." Teddy exclaims.
Bailey sighs. He murmurs. "Look, I think it is wrong that you talk about your sister like that. I'm sure she feels miserable and tormented because she got stuck with school work while her father was having a surgery in another state. She is sad, that's why she flies back as soon as possible, Teddy. And your words hurt her."
"You're really her close friend, aren't you?" Teddy sighs.
"You don't understand how tough it is in medical school, Teddy. We turn off our phones and isolate ourselves from the world, especially from our families, because we know any news coming from our family affects us deeply. And, we really have no time or energy to worry about anything else other than our tests and exams and rotations. Medical school is consuming, Teddy."
Teddy stays silent.
"Your sister studies very hard, and that's a way to show her appreciation to her parents, Teddy. I really admire her because she stands the second in our class while I'm only ranked the fourth. She sleeps less than five hours per day; she attends all the class sections and takes detailed notes. You don't know that we, medical students, sometimes mix up ingredients to create our own super power energy drink, so that we can stay awake for continuous fifty hours. That said, her flying back and forth to be here for your dad's birthday or his surgery is a huge commitment. It's a big sacrifice in time and energy. Faith loves your parents very much. As much as you do."
Teddy strolls along the pathway around the hospital with Bailey for a while. She looks deep in thought. As they return to the hospital, she eventually murmurs: "I'm wasting your time, energy and effort as well, right? You're not supposed to be here. You're supposed to be in Stanford and study crazily for your upcoming quiz."
"Teddy, it's not what I mean. I chose to go with you!" He exclaims.
"No, Bailey, I really appreciate your being with me and supporting me. I'm not whining or pouting here. I'm talking seriously. You shouldn't invest your feelings or anything in me. I'm wild and crazy, I live the way I want and perceive things the way I want. You are calm, wise and steady. You should see someone in your status, like Faith, for example."
"Teddy, we can't be together when you never consider my feelings. I say I want to be here with you and I chose to be here with you." He sighs miserably.
"No, we can't. I know you don't talk about yourself when you say flying back and forth is a huge sacrifice. But I'm taking your time and energy, Bailey. And I don't want that. You should focus on your study." She shakes her head. Her eyes are teary.
"Are you breaking up with me? Seriously, even before I take you on a date?" Bailey raises his voice bitterly.
"Yes, I am. I'm so sorry, Bailey." She runs inside the hospital and leaves him standing alone, staring at the delicate frame desperately.
Teddy returns to the room to find her father already sleeping. Faith and Cristina both are focusing on the materials in their hands.
"I'm sorry I was out of line, Faith." She looks down and mumbles.
"But I thought about it thoroughly before I decided, Ma. Please get me." She turns around and whispers to Cristina with yearning eyes.
"Teddy, you are smart, that's why you think college is easy for you. Keep in mind that you're just a freshman. You are taking basic classes. Many people drop out college not because they are stupid, Teddy. It's because they are overconfident that they can do well so they take college lightly and start losing passion in studying."
"Ma, I understand what you say. I need you to understand that I don't have an intention to drop out of school whatsoever. I will take five CLEP exams, and you will see I do them well. I promise you I will be very serious and active at school the next semester. Please just let me stay at home and be helpful somehow. You are building a medical school, Ma. Your project is huge. However determined you are to be there for dad, I know you can't handle them all. You will need someone to cook for him and make sure he's healthy. And that person is me."
Cristina feels so touched by her little daughter's honest words. Cristina usually scolds at Teddy because she wants the girl to be less emotional and less involved, but it's her inborn characteristics. Cristina recalls how Teddy prepared dinner for everyone regardless of being lectured earlier the day. She pulls Teddy to her side and holds her hand. "Teddy, you are never the black sheep of the family. You are a very good daughter that we can ever ask for. I accept your request. Now, you still need to flight back to Berkeley tonight to organize your school work and have your academic records held, whatsoever. I'll drive you to the airport."
"Yes, drive her to the airport please, Mom. And you should take a rest. You've been back and forth between Kraum and this place. I can stay with Dad tonight. I'm not leaving 'till tomorrow night." Faith speaks up.
"The bidding is next week. Then I will have much more time to take care of your Dad. And Theo will be back to see him. Things will get better." Cristina nods.
…
Faith occasional shifts her sight from the book to her father lying on the patient bed. She looks at Owen sleeping peacefully with great empathy. She understands how hard her father is fighting to recover from the surgeries and subsequent treatments. With her own childhood experience, she knows the recovering process after a surgery is, in fact, soothing and comfortable. A helpless patient would feel much better after a successful surgery. It's usually the pain and the desperate exhaustion when the inner organs fail that breaks a patient down.
Gazing at Owen, she's glad her father is comfortable for the moment. She knows there are more battles waiting for him ahead, those that are more harsh and fierce.
Dr. Bailey comes in and checks Owen's vital before heading home. Hearing the conversation between Faith and Miranda Bailey, Owen gradually wakes up.
"Hey, Dad, you're awake." She cheerfully smiles.
"Hey, sweetie. What time is it?" Owen murmurs.
"Seven thirty." Faith rolls up the curtain behind her, revealing a rainy Seattle outside the window.
"I'm glad Dr. Bailey gave me a room in the third floor. She knows I love to look out the window." Owen weakly giggles. "What are you doing, sweetie?" He glances over the piles of books Faith put on top of the drawer.
"Oh, I'm studying. I have a quiz the day after tomorrow so I'm reading the book while you sleep." She moves her chair closer to Owen's bed side. "How are you feeling now?"
"How about you look at my chart and tell me?" Owen smiles mischievously.
Faith stands up and grabs her father's chart to have a look. Owen observes her eyebrows curve up for a moment, then her eyes winkle as she smiles: "Everything looks great. You are recovering well. Are you feeling great?" She genuinely smiles. Owen likes to look at Faith when she smiles; she has such beautiful and sharp brown eyes.
"I'm feeling great, especially when my daughter is here."
Faith resumes to her chair, eyes gazing at the view outside the window. Owen looks at her long and sleek black hair, feeling somewhat guilty that he hasn't given her adequate love and attention as Theo and Teddy. He and Cristina spent less time cuddling and talking to their oldest daughter because they were so busy with their work and the twins. Furthermore, Faith was always a mature and responsible daughter, they actually paid less attention to her because she was doing everything by herself so well.
"You dyed your hair black again." Owen comments.
"Uh huh, my rebellious time is over. I'm steady now." She sincerely smiles.
"Do you know your mom tattooed her last name and mine on her right chest?" Owen chuckles.
"Did she? Oh my God, Mom was serious when she thought my tattoo was rather sexy." Faith laughs out loud.
"Uh huh. She really amazed me. Anyway, Theo and Teddy still don't know about it. I don't want your mom to set a bad example for them, tattooing the name of her lover on her chest." Owen laughs and shakes his head.
The rain eventually stops and the sky becomes brighter. Owen gazes at the view outside the window while Faith focuses her attention back to the book. There is a comfortable silence in between the father and the daughter. Then Owen speaks up.
"You know you can read the book out loud for me. I can tell what you are studying."
"You really want that? You should take a little time off medicine. This is funny, Dad. You lying here reminds me of the time I was sick and I glued myself to the hospital bed. You would sit at the chair I'm sitting and read books for me." She gently smiles.
"And you asked for Robinson Crusoe, then Tom Sawyer, then Little House on the Prairie. I was so fed up with reading books for you, but you never got bored; so when Cristina came and offered to tell you stories, I was really relieved." Owen laughs out loud.
"You were always patient, Dad. You were always there for me." She looks at him and her eyes become teary.
"Hey, shhh, don't cry. We are having a good moment here." Owen's hand reaches for Faith's hand and he gently squeezes it.
"You know, I was in pain and I was exhausted. I wasn't sound and lucid. But you planted in me hope Dad. Hope that I will be strong and healthy again. And as a six year old girl, I held on to that. You planted in me the thought that good things will always happen to me and I believed in you."
Owen quietly nods.
"I'm not gonna lecture you, Dad. But I need you to keep up your hope and fight. You and I both know this is just the beginning, and it's important that you stay positive. At least, you should have faith. You named me Faith, you should have Faith." She gives Owen a stern look.
"Yes, ma'am. I can't spare a negative thought because all day I've been listening to hope and fighting from your mother, Teddy and you." Owen shakes his head.
"Alright then." Faith sheepishly smiles.
"Have you chosen your specialty?" Owen asks her.
"Not until next year. But as long as I'm in top ten percent, I can choose surgery. I want to be a surgeon." She proudly answers him.
"I'm glad you're doing great at school. You never made us worry about you, Faith. Keep up the good work and one day you can create a legendary like your mom."
Faith pauses for a little while, then she tilts her head closer to Owen's bed and smiles.
"Mom is a legend in everyone's eyes, but you are the legend in my eyes, Dad. You're a chief of surgery, chief of trauma, an amazing husband and amazing father. You never let me skip my piano classes, you made us dinner whenever you could, you took care of Theo when he was troublesome, you read bedtime stories to Teddy."
Owen blushes. "Okay, I'm not dying today so you don't need to honor all the things I did for you all now." He smiles.
"Oh, I'm having a good moment with you, as you said." She smiles. "I can't live up to today if you didn't adopt me, and tried to fix my heart. And you took me back on a medical trip to Korea to find my real parents when I was eighteen. That means a lot to me. I'm mature and different because you raised me differently."
"That was an awesome trip." Owen notes.
"Indeed. It's the one of a kind mission trip that I can brag to my friends, and they are jealous of me." She chuckles.
"Sweetie, you're being emotional now. I would love to hug you but I am kinda weak to handle another Teddy now. I need a cool and calm daughter." He rubs her head.
"Fine. Just saying." Faith rolls her eyes.
"Don't worry, I feel very good now. I'm even thinking about what I want to do when I'm under radiation treatment. I can't stay at home doing nothing. There are many things I want to do but haven't got a chance." Owen stares absentmindedly at the ceiling, thinking about the plans that he wanted to do.
"Like what?"
"I will do a research. I had a research topic in mind years ago but never got time to sit down and work on it. It will be a very interesting research." Owen chuckles.
"It will be a groundbreaking research." She grins.
"Yeah, maybe it's time I let Cristina Yang know that Owen Hunt can be a bigger legend than her." Looking at his daughter, Owen smiles mischievously.
**Since this chapter involves Faith, you can check out her bedroom under the tag #gaucung89 in tumblr.